


The Blood of the Covenant is Thicker Than Water

by ArrowheadProductions



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: A bunch of little batgirls actually, Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Batfamily Feels, Batman is a good Dad, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, It hops all around a timeline okay, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Paralysis, Romance, Sibling Bonding, Sometimes not so implied, Through the Years, Turn away if you want a BruceBabs romance, What's canon, batfam, but everyone is super cute, oneshots, the batkids are little shits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-14 18:17:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 103,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10541913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrowheadProductions/pseuds/ArrowheadProductions
Summary: A series of oneshots about the Batfamily through the years from the perspectives of Batdad, the kids, or even Alfred.





	1. Timeline of Chapters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In case you're ever lost on where my chapters fall on my own personal timeline of events, this is where to go! Brief descriptions for clarification will be offered as well. The order goes from oldest event to most recent event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly more for me than you guys, because this way when I write a new oneshot, I can be very clear what perimeters I have to work within. I want all these to be as cohesive as possible.

**Ages of Kids**

  * Barbara is the oldest and is 18 months older than Dick
  * Dick is a little over 4 years older than Jason 
  * Cassandra and Jason are only a couple months apart with Cass being just a little older
  * Cass and Jason are 2 years older than Tim and Steph
  * Stephanie is a few months older than Tim
  * Tim is 3 years older than Damian, who is the youngest



 

**More important facts**

  * Dick is with the Titans for 4 years and doesn't see Bruce or Alfred during that entire time
  * Barbara is paralyzed for 3 years
  * Stephanie gets pregnant at 16, but loses the baby
  * Cassandra is only Batgirl for about a year before stepping into the role of Black Bat so Stephanie can take over
  * Dick, Barbara, and Tim are all a part of the Young Justice team for a few years with Dick as their leader
  * Barbara has been leading the Birds of Prey on the side since she became Oracle
  * Jason is still considered legally dead
  * Dick runs away for a few months when Wally disappears, breaking up with Babs (or however one breaks up a FWB situation) and going off with the circus again for a bit
  * Bruce and Selina seriously date for a year before getting engaged
  * Jason is bisexual 
  * Cassandra is asexual but not aromantic
  * Dick lived in a safehouse for almost an entire year before moving in with Bruce
  * Jason moves in before Dick leaves to be with the Titans
  * Barbara and Dick never officially date before he leaves to be with the Titans, but did have an exclusive and mostly unspoken relationship 
  * Dick was engaged to Kori for a little over a year 
  * Cassandra and Stephanie are best friends who look at Barbara as a big sister-type figure
  * Bruce was about 28 when he took Dick in
  * Jason was presumed dead for around 3 years, but was secretly operating as Red Hood for one of those years



 

**Order of Stories**

**13\. My Boy-** Dick has been Robin for about a year and is 10 years old. At this point and time, he knows of Barbara Gordon (though it isn't made clear whether they're good friends or not) as the Commissioner's daughter and they go to the same school. Bruce is in his late 20s- early 30s.

 **2\. Dynamite Duo-** Barbara Gordon has just joined the team at age 14/15, making Dick about 13/14 and at this point it seems they're good friends. Unlike in the animated series, each know each other's secret identities. 

 **15\. Last Dance-** Barbara is a senior in high school, making her 18 while Dick is still a junior and is 16 (almost 17), and this takes place the night her senior prom is going on. The two make out on top of the school since they both missed the dance. There isn't any mention yet of Dick's joining the Titans. 

 **5\. 4 Goodbyes-** It's mentioned that Dick has been staying in Wayne Manor for 8 years, making him 17 at this point in time. This takes place in the summer after Barbara's graduation from high school and instead of going back, Dick is to be homeschooled and proceed forward by leading his own team. Jason is in the picture and is 12 years old. Dick and Barbara aren't dating even after prom night, but it's clear they've had some kind of relationship going on, enough for her to almost tell him she loves him, but not enough for him to be sure she loves him.

 **23\. Superherpes-** Cassandra is Batgirl, Jason is Robin, and Barbara is Oracle. Dick is mentioned to be off with the Teen Titans and recently started dating Starfire. It's also stated that Barbara has visited him at Titan Tower and this is where she made this discovery. Cass is still very new to the team and cannot read yet or speak fluently, but has broken english and has watched a fair share of movies with Babs. Jason gets intimate with a girl for the first time and it goes horribly. Jason blames Dick for a lot of what happened to all of them over the past couple years.

 **8\. Book Club-** Jason is still alive and he and Cass are the same age at about 14. She's the new Batgirl, meaning Barbara is Oracle here and that the attack was recent to current events. Cassandra is considerably new to the team and being exposed to society so Bruce encourages her to learn how to read.

 **3\. How to Date a Birdboy-** Tim and Stephanie are 13 and are Robin and Batgirl respectively. Their relationship is new and Bruce doesn't approve of it on the grounds that they might hurt each other the way Dick and Babs did when he left. Though not mentioned, Cassandra has moved on to being Black Bat to make room for Stephanie's Batgirl and is likely 15 now. Babs is 20 and currently Oracle while wheel-chair bound from the Joker's attack, which happens shortly after Dick left to lead the Teen Titans. Dick is 18/19, still leading the Titans, and is currently with Starfire. It's made clear that while Dick and Babs never officially dated, they "passionately made out sometimes" and had intense feelings for each other and broke each other's hearts. Jason is a fresh loss for everyone and would have been almost 15 if he were alive. 

 **24\. Love is Sacrifice-** Barbara is leading the Birds of Prey as Oracle and has likely been doing so for a year and has been wheelchair-bound for a little longer than that. Cassandra has recently departed the batgirl role to do some soul searching and while it isn't stated explicitly, it's implied this may have been a result of Jason's death, which has happened only a few months prior and the effect is still raw. Dick hasn't spoken to Babs in months though his relationship with Kori has gotten quite serious seemingly due to a newfound desire to seize the day because of all the tragedy. Babs comes to terms that while she loves him, she needs to let him go even though it seems Dick might have initially wanted her to stop him from going through with it.

 **6\. 4 Greetings-** Dick's been gone for 4 years with the Titans, which puts him at about 20 (almost 21) and hasn't seen Alfred for that entire time. It's been revealed that he did see Babs a year and a half before when he announced his engagement to Starfire. He's no longer with Starfire and hasn't been for a few months now. Barbara is about 22 here and recovering from her paralysis as indicated by Dick noticing a pair of crutches and no wheel chair in her bedroom. Dick and Babs kiss again, but it's not confirmed that this starts a real relationship for them. Jason's been dead for a little while now and would be 16 if he were alive. Tim or any of the new kids aren't mentioned, because they weren't around when Dick left. 

 **9\. Sparring-** This takes place shortly after "4 Greetings" and details the first time Dick and Babs ever have sex. It's implied that they've fooled around in the past (though nothing specific on what that means in this case). Babs has been training the new kids whether it be as Oracle or as Batgirl again and Dick has gotten closer to Tim as well. Neither Dick or Barbara are virgins, stating Dick lost his virginity to Kori and it's not said who Barbara's first time was with. In spite of being fully intimate for the first time, the grounds of their relationship isn't made clear until "The Birds and the Bats". 

 **10\. The Birds and the Bats-** Damian Wayne is in the picture at 11 years old and it's unclear how long he's been around, but is Robin. Tim is 15 and Stephanie is a fresh 16 and are dating other people, meaning their young relationship was short-lived but amicable since they still work together. Stephanie gets pregnant by an unnamed individual and Tim has sex for the first time with Wonder Girl (Cassie). Tim, Barbara, and Dick are all part of the Young Justice team and it's mentioned that Wally West has recently vanished into the speed force. Dick and Barbara have a "Friends with Benefits" type of relationship going on and have since they first hooked up and nobody knows about it except Bruce when he figures it out. Bruce is in a sexual relationship with Selina Kyle, but they aren't seriously dating or anything. Cassandra just turned 18 while Jason is a late 17 and very much alive. Cassandra is Black Bat and Jason is Red Hood and starting to hang around the Batfamily again, though tensions are still present. 

 **20\. Baby Princess Curls-** The fallout of Stephanie's pregnancy is revealed and while the guy in question who got her pregnant isn't important, her relationship with Tim Drake is. Tim is still dating Wonder Girl, but he and Steph are still very good friends. Steph was in love with a drifter that did what he did best and let her down, but Tim Drake does quite the opposite and helps her get used to the idea of being a mom and reminds her of the love she's surrounded with. Steph does end up losing the baby due to the impact of a car accident.

 **19\. Like Looking in a Mirror-** Jason is 17 and is preparing to form a team of his own in determination to separate himself from the Batfamily for a little while so he could become a hero (or anti-hero) of his own. Dick is 21 and sees similarities in their paths, but points out that they are different and that Jason doesn't have to worry about being a carbon copy of him. Jason refers to the year before for a moment and how he was bitter enemies with his family, meaning when he'd first been found alive. He was about 16 when he was discovered to be alive by the family. Jason reveals he knows about Dick's sexual relationship with Barbara (though doesn't divulge how he knows) and gives him advice on what to do about it. 

 **16\. Drunk Texts-** Jason is still acting out in rebellion against Bruce and the tensions between the two are high. It seems Dick and Barbara are on the cusp of being a full couple, since neither are hooking up with other people, but they aren't labeled as boyfriend/girlfriend or told each other they love each other (though Dick is already talking kids). Everyone seems to know about it too, unlike before, because Bruce suggests he take Babs out on a date as a way to blow off some steam and they made out at a party. Stephanie is having relationship problems with someone else that's not disclosed, but it could very well have been who originally impregnated her before, though considering she's drinking, she's not pregnant anymore at this time. 

 **17\. A Dumb Dog-** Barbara has been dating someone else for 6 months after Dick left the Young Justice team and there was a fallout of some sort of their FWB situation. She's previously stated that Dick wasn't ready to be in a full-fledged relationship with her because of his actions and reputation with other women. Artemis pushes him into realizing he needs to go after what he wants if he ever expects to get it and claims the two of them have been dancing around their feelings for years. This means that even while he was with other people (like Kori), he still clearly had feelings for Barbara. Dick wants to convince her that he isn't a dog and to finally make their relationship legitimate and thinks the only way to do so is to out-propose her current boyfriend. Babs declines both engagements, though she broke up with Jason after his and accepts Dick's offer to be her boyfriend instead. Babs is 22 going on 23 while Dick is 21.

 **27\. Pillow Talk-** Bruce and Selina have had an on-again/off-again undefined relationship since his early days as Batman and her early days as Catwoman. Neither could deny the attraction they always felt for one another, often falling into each other for physical pleasure. However, their recent entanglement occurred after Bruce abruptly revealed his love for Selina and there's a shift in the current. The two decide, after essentially a decade of back and forth that it's high time they enter an actual relationship and discuss logistics that might have frightened them once, but only encourage them now.

 **4\. Normalcy-** Everyone in the Batfamily is close enough for Alfred to request they start spending holidays together doing family-like things. Dick and Barbara are officially together still while Bruce and Selina seemed to have struck up a legitimate relationship too. Tim and Steph aren't dating, but it's clear that feelings might still be there based on how protective he is of her when Damian openly insults her. Dick has developed a very close relationship with Damian and has grown into the role of big brother since his return from being away for so long. 

 **21\. Christmas in July (part 1)-** Damian has never experienced Christmas with the family, presumably based on a mission of some sort in December with Batman and Dick, who's also gone a long time without a good Christmas, is determined to emulate Christmas in the summer to give him the full effect. Everyone is invited and their hardships of the past year or so are all mentioned including Steph's miscarriage, Tim being kicked out of the Robin role, Jason being violent and belligerent upon his return, the effect the death of Wally West had on Dick along with Barbara's being with someone else, and at one point Cassandra went missing. Everyone is apprehensive to going, because of the track record of family gatherings, but all begrudgingly accept.

 **22\. Christmas in July (part 2)-** The actual day of the event and Barbara explains to Damian just why Christmas is so important to Dick. It's noted that Bruce was never around for Christmas on account of his own grief, but because of this failed to be there for Dick when he needed him during the holidays. Surprisingly, all goes fairly well and everyone enjoys themselves. It's the most family-liked we've seen the group and even Bruce pulls through for the first time in years.

 **36\. Disney World-** The group takes a trip to Disney World. Steph and Tim have recently resumed a romantic relationship and are both still in high school. They'd been down in Orlando to chase down Penguin, which Bruce led, making him still Batman at this point. Dick had been to Disney World before 15 years earlier with his parents at age 8 and is now 23.

 **25\. Under the Black Cowl** \- Bruce has sustained a debilitating broken back after his fight with Bane, leaving Dick no choice other than to be Batman. Dick has been struggling with this for a few months now and feels overwhelmed by the incredible burden placed on him. Tim is Red Robin at this point, as Dick chose Damian to be his Robin, pushing Tim out of the role, which he is seemingly envious of to some extent. Barbara is acting mostly as Oracle nowadays, because the team needs her more for intellectual and emotional support as opposed to a physical presence. 

 **31\. Sunday Mornings-** Bruce seems to still not be back in the crime fighting game, but Dick chooses to patrol as Nightwing during what turned out to be a world-ending fiasco. Scarecrow's fear toxin caused him to envision the ones he loves most dying, namely Barbara, and instills a desperate need of comfort that bleeds into the early hours of the morning. 

 **12. Nightmares-** Damian is about 13 years old and feeling ashamed that he was so riddled with PTSD, but everyone shares their experiences over the years. Tim and Stephanie are together again and both their fathers are dead at this time (though Cluemaster does eventually come back). Stephanie was Tim's first kiss back when they were dating the first time at age 13. Stephanie is Spoiler, Tim is Red Robin, Damian is Robin, Barbara is Oracle/Batgirl, Cass is Black Bat, Dick is Nightwing, and Jason is Red Hood. They've been a team for about 2 years.

 **7\. Group Chat-** The only reason this occurs so late in the timeline is because Dick and Barbara are serious enough to move in together and because Tim and Stephanie are clearly together as well. Everything else is fairly free-flowing across the timeline as long as everyone's alive. 

 **32\. Burning the Midnight Oil-** Dick and Barbara, along with the other older members of the team, are revealed to no longer be on the Young Justice team and that Tim is now its leader. However, with Batman off earth on a mission with the Justice League, Young Justice needed some help. Wally West is alive as Barbara puts it upon herself to keep an eye on team members old and new. 

 **14\. Intervention-** Damian is stated to be 13 and with a superiority complex according to the girls. Bruce recently proposed to Selina the night before this story occurs, which sparks Damian's fears that he could be losing everyone he'd gotten so close with. Stephanie teases Damian for being the only single "bird in the nest", which although it isn't explicitly said, means Jason has someone to call his own right now too. Barbara and Dick have been together for 2 years and it's assumed Tim and Steph have been a couple for almost a year or so. 

 **11\. Journeying-** The wedding of all weddings finally happens for Bruce and Selina. They've been entangled in a complicated relationship for a while now, but Bruce is around 42 and Selina is around 38.  Jim Gordon is in the know about pretty much everyone's identities here, since he's present at the reception with all the heroes around. Jason is 20 years old and in spite of this, gets drunk off his ass and dances with a beer bottle until he starts dancing with Kori instead. Clark Kent has a son that's  _not_ Conner Kent (who's also still around and was on the Young Justice team) who is apparently rivals with the young Damian and the both of them will be joining the Teen Titans soon together. 

 **18\. Pass the Remote** \- While ages are not specified, Duke has never been mentioned before this story and this is his introduction so it's safe to say this happens after the events of Bruce's wedding and all that. Duke Thomas is to invent the role of "Lark" and thrives predominantly on intelligence-dominated areas, but is geared to train with Bruce until he builds his physical strength up. He's 17 and is in the same grade as Tim and Stephanie. 

 **33\. Vampire Bats-** The entire family gets together for Halloween. It's mentioned that amongst all the usual mayhem, that this is actually Damian's first Halloween so he's unaware of the usual "rules" and Dick is able to convince him he has to dress as Pikachu. Tim ends up having to go as Pugsley Addams when he's assigned the costume of Toad since Duke was Luigi and Jason was Mario; even though Tim is dating Stephanie, who dressed as Peach. At the end of the night, Selina suggests they go as  _The Incredibles_ the following year, stating they had someone to fill every role, including the role of Jack-Jack. Bruce, who was unaware they were having a child, responds in natural shock.

 **35\. One With the Force-** The only reason this must take place the most recently, is the fact that the Star Wars movie that Damian is referencing is the Last Jedi, which came out the December before. Dick and Barbara are serious and presumably living together, but seem to be residing in the manor temporarily to keep watch while Bruce is off world. Damian is visibly more comfortable with the both of them.

**Covers Many Periods of Time**

**25\. The "Cool" Aunt** \- Chronicles a specific time Kate Kane did a favor for the Batkids and one time she asked them for a favor. Her part with Dick occurs shortly after his dance with Babs on prom night in "Last Dance" as it is referenced he "kind of" has a girl he doesn't want to leave. It takes place before he leaves for the Titans in "4 Goodbyes" since Kate is the one to convince him to leave. Jason's part occurs about 2 years after Dick leaves and shortly before his "death" since it's referenced that the Joker recently escaped from Gotham and he dies at age 14. Tim's part takes place shortly after this and shortly before "How to Date a Bird Boy", because Stephanie Brown is Robin and they're in a fresh relationship. Barbara's bringing Cassandra on, so this happens before Jason's death and after she's paralyzed by the Joker, by the sounds of it only a few months after the incident. Damian's happens after "Under the Black Cowl", because Dick is mentioned to being Batman. She's with Maggie Sawyer for most of the story and ends up marrying her in the end, but this takes place after Bruce's wedding.

 **28\. Playlists-** Covers each character through their entire journey.

 **29\. That Was It (part 1)-** Details the moment Barbara, Selina and Stephanie all fell in love with their respective partners. For Selina, this happens at a time when Bruce is presumed dead (which is likely shortly before "Under the Black Cowl" as Bruce is declared alive but hurt) and she is forced to confront her feelings alone. Barbara realized she loved Dick during their earlier days when he was still Batgirl and seemingly before Jason comes on the scene. It seems that this moment happens after they dance together on her prom night but before Dick decides to join the Titans. Stephanie's is the latest and her moment of realization happens before "Nightmares" when they are an official couple again. 

 **30\. That Was It (part 2)-** The boys versions of when they fell in love with their respective love interests and while this happens after the girl's retelling, the flashbacks take place before the flashbacks in the previous. Dick's story, for instance, tells of his first few weeks at Gotham Academy and how he became friends with Barbara Gordon by fate, even before his Robin days. He says that while he didn't really understand romantic love at the age of 9, his first thought when she stood up for him was that he loved her even if he didn't know her. Bruce realized his tortured love for Selina in his first year as Batman after having a particularly rough night. She physically supports him and he realizes the reason he's so bent up on saving her is that he loves her. Tim doesn't have a flashback, but mentions that Stephanie kissed him and that made him realize he never actually stopped loving her. 

 **34\. Healing-** Babs recounts some of the stories behind Dick's scars as he lies unconscious in front of her and she worries about his fate. The past takes place while they are both Batgirl and Robin, likely shortly after chapter 15 (Last Dance) and are in the midst of a summer fling. The present takes place most recently as it is briefly referenced that they are engaged to each other. It is unknown what their specific ages are, but it is presumed they are in their mid to late twenties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got great glee out of doing this, because I'm a massive nerd and can't help myself. It kind of felt like I was making a wikipedia page for my own fics?


	2. Dynamite Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get some female empowerment on the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Young Dick and Babs centric, featuring Bruce and Alfred's quiet early approval.

"Penny for your thoughts, sir?"

When Alfred was met with a familiar amount of brooding silence, aka the easiest and quickest accurate description for Bruce Wayne as a whole, he cleared his throat in an attempt to get his attention. 

"I could offer more, but you are a billionaire already, sir." Aside from the silence that generated from the half suited vigilante, there was a distant buzz of chatter from the floor above, no doubt coming from one increasingly talkative Master Grayson, who was growing more enthusiastic by the moment about the latest addition to the team. Not unlike his mentor, Robin wasn't immediately keen on allowing Batgirl to join their nightly crusades. Unlike his mentor, his hesitance had more to do with an immaturity that assumed a girl couldn't handle their line of work.

Barbara Gordon quickly changed his view on this assumption. For once, he didn't seem to mind being wrong.

"Alfred, what am I doing? Forming my own incredibly liable school for vigilante work?"

"Was that an attempt at a joke, sir?"

"I'm serious."

"Per usual."

"If Jim finds out--"

"--If I'm not mistaken, Master Bruce, we already fixed that problem fairly easily by having Master Richard wear the Batgirl suit. It was a rather high point in any future thespian career for him, not to mention quite humbling."

"I can't let anything happen to her."

Alfred sighed at the pained man. "I know you fear for their lives, Master Bruce, more so than you've ever feared for your own, which as worried as that's made me... That's my burden to bear. However, Gotham is a terrible place at times and you've made it brighter. So much so that this young and extremely capable girl wants to uphold your legacy. Remember when you first enlisted Master Richard on your crusade?"

"You were vehemently against it."

"Ah, because I was afraid he would lose his youth, his childhood, but he didn't. You gave him the opportunity at life and in way he did the same for you."

"And Barbara?"

"You're smiling twice as much as when Master Richard first came on the scene and I don't think he's stopped smiling since she came about. As for Miss Gordon, if she's anything like her father, and she's proven herself quite intensely if you ask me, this is in her blood. She'll do this with or without us and since you've got a few years experience, sir, I'd say "with" is certainly the way to go."

Bruce stared at the blank computer screen for a bit longer before shifting and glancing up at his longtime friend. He nodded, which in Alfred's experience was a huge sign of acceptance and admittance of being wrong. His insecurities and fears were far from squashed, but the team would fight another day and perhaps burrow themselves a little less into his already damaged inner psyche. Maybe he won't lose too much sleep tonight over it. 

Changing the subject matter slightly, he leaned forward and keyed in a code giving access to the main level of Wayne Manor to the kids. Master Dick, a full year and a half younger than his new partner, hadn't hit his growth spurt quite yet, standing at equal height to the fully-matured Miss Gordon. Currently, the two stood very close. Barbara had her hands on her hips, challenging a sly quip made by the daring Boy Wonder, who was no doubt trying to compensate for his lack of experience with his quick mouth. It seemed Barbara outmatched him in that department as well, playfully calling his bluff at every turn.

 

_"--I think you liked wearing the Batgirl suit. It's a sweet homage to that darling little number you used to wear, only more masculine."_

_"No way, your boots are way too big for me. I've got blisters, Babs."_

_"Is that why you're called Robin? Because you're light as a feather?"_

_"How long have you been packing that one? As long as it took you to knock out those goons?"_

_"I'll admit I was a bit slower than usual tonight."_

_"Thank you." Dick thought he was winning._

_"I was a little distracted by your girlish scream at that car alarm."_

_"I-I told you those were the breaks of my bike. I need to get them changed."_

_"Suuuuuure, Boy Wonder."_

 

"They're growing fond of each other rather quickly." Bruce muttered, but didn't exactly seem bothered. Surely, he could see how beneficial it is to have a friend to relate to, particularly in their line of work. "I suppose I can't take that away from Dick."

"I do look forward to the amount of spunk Miss Gordon shall bring to our team. If I'm not mistaken, I think she's grown on you as well, Master Bruce."

He grunted in response, indicating a yes.

"Yes, they make quite the duo. At this rate I can't tell if you'll need to be a referee or parental supervision."

"Maybe both." He conceded.


	3. How to Date a Bird Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babs finds herself in the uncomfortable position of relationship counselor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of past Dick and Babs, young Tim and Steph, and how Bruce needs to learn to let go.

Barbara Gordon had many talents that she excelled at. She was a hacker, thorough detective, superb gymnast, skilled martial artist, and if you asked her, she could tell one hell of a joke if she wanted to. These and other facets of her personality combined made her vital to the Bat-team. She could offer counsel on a countless number of topics. It was ridiculous how much information she could offer.

Relationship expert, though? She was not. 

And yet here a young Stephanie Brown sat, still dressed in her Batgirl suit, slumped on a spinning chair in an uncharacteristically depressing manner. Her lip was jutted out in a deliberate pout while her eyes were rather fixated on her boots. Though she was far from an expert on romantic relationships, particularly  _successful_ romantic relationships, she knew that look. She just wished she had more to do than boring coding for the security of Batcave to distract herself from the gloominess across from her. She was pretty sure that was impossible. Barbara really did sympathize with her and the begging for attention was getting a little too ridiculous to ignore much longer. 

Stephanie sighed pretty dramatically. Twice. 

 _Dammit_.

"Okay," Barbara pushed herself away from her desk so that she was completely facing Stephanie. "What'd he do?"

The younger girl's eyes brightened a little at her working act, but faded again at the memory of her present relationship strife. 

"It's not Tim... It's Bruce."

Barbara wrinkled her nose. "Um, you're 13 and--"

"--No!" Steph flashed a deep shade of red and then her face twisted in disgust. "He's like Tim's dad. No, the issue is... Well, you dated a Robin, right?"

She pretended to ponder this question. She wasn't sure what she and Dick had could have even been considered "dating". It was more like they were best friends who had intense feelings for each other and passionately made out sometimes. Exclusively. They never really "talked" about it much though. It was what it was and before she thought it was best to keep it up in the air so it would be easier for her to go off to college and for him to go be with the Titans, but this was not the case.

"Hmm... I think so? They're the ones in the tight shorts, right?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Anyway, how do I detect if he's in it for the long haul?"

"What does this have to do with Bruce, again?"

"He doesn't want us to date and I feel like Tim is really hearing him."

"How can he? Bruce barely talks."

"I'm being serious, Barb. He's been pretty flaky lately and we never have time for each other. Tim is a calculative guy. He overthinks everything and Bruce thinks I'm a big screwup--"

"--No he doesn't. Former Batgirl to current Batgirl, I'm telling you he doesn't. He thinks you're risky and a bit reckless, but he's dealt with that before. He's dealt with that a million times over with most of us. Tim is probably the first who he hasn't had to worry about in that sense and ever since Jason... Well, I think he's scared for that to happen again."

"I would never intentionally put him in danger. I love him too much." Steph sighed and after a great deal of a pause, raised a fear she'd clearly been harboring for quite some time. "Is love enough, though?"

Barbara paused, recounting her own previous relationships and shook her head. There was no use lying to the girl. Steph had endured more than her fair share of trauma at a young age. She'd never seen a healthy, proper relationship and sugar-coating wouldn't do her any good.

"No, it isn't."

Steph was silent for a moment, eyeing Barbara carefully and potentially seeing her vulnerable for the first time as well. Barbara tried to resist the urge to shut down all emotional pretenses with a joke or changing the subject altogether, but instead she just looked away and shrugged.

"Look, if I was anyone to be giving relationship advice, my Ro-- Nightwing might not be frolicking off into the sunset with a stunning and exotic alien princess."

"But you've been here before. You walked in my- er, sorry I guess that's a poor choice of words?"

"I mean, it's accurate." The redhead shrugged casually. "I was Batgirl. I did have a thing with the first bird brain. I did walk."

"Did Bruce give you guys just as hard of a time when you were seeing each other?"

Barbara snorted. "Bruce is a ridiculously smart guy, but if I'm a relationship flunky, he's a full-blown dropout. Not High School dropout, either. We're talking grade school."

"He seems pretty hyper aware now."

"That's because he does learn from experience."

"So you guys ruined this for the rest of us, huh? Is this why Bruce is funny about letting Tim and I patrol together on slow nights?"

"Jesus, you get caught making out against a water tower _once_ and suddenly all credibility is out the window."

"When he found out, was he mad?"

Barbara's face softened a bit and shook her head. "Actually, no. He tried to chaperon or make Alfred chaperon an absurd and embarrassing amount of times, but I think that was more his way of preventing... How did he say it? _Batbabies_. Other than that, he always gave the impression that he liked me for Dick. Alfred talked about us like we were getting hitched or something."

"So it really is me." Steph muttered sullenly.

"No." Barbara shook her head. "Dick and I broke each other's hearts. As much as we tried not to let that interfere with the team or the greater good, it was hard and incredibly awkward. One thing Bruce needs to learn, and  _yes_ I know you're listening, Dark Knight--"

"WHAT?" Steph shrieked.

Sure enough, Bruce dropped down from above, dressed fully in his Batsuit. If Steph wasn't so embarrassed she might have noticed the bright hue of red that crept around the exposed areas of his face. Instead, she made the valiant effort to sink and disappear into her chair and avoid eye contact.

"Where the hell were you even hiding?"

"I--Uh, there are a lot of open air ducts that I was just checking out--"

"--In the Batsuit." Barbara mused. "Anyway, B, you might as well take a seat, because apparently I'm now the leading expert of love, which as we know from my track record, is incredibly pathetic, but it is what it is."

"I don't think you're a disappointment or a screwup." Bruce directed at Steph. "My disapproval of the relationship has just as much to do with protecting you--"

Barbara interrupted him, completely unfazed. "Avoiding falling in love with someone just because you may fall out of love with someone does a lot more harm than good. You think you're protecting people by keeping that distance, but all you're really doing is creating loneliness. You're turning them into... you, Bruce."

By the flash of guilt that crossed his face, a look that was very common in the life of Bruce Wayne, it was obvious he didn't want that. He'd made plenty of mistakes in his life, but Barbara always argued the biggest was his inability to let anyone into his heart. There were plenty of offers: Selina, Talia, hell, even Diana had eyes for the illustrious Bruce Wayne. Idealistically, he wanted to have it all, but he knew deep down that just because he was unable to reconcile with himself the possibility of love and happiness, didn't mean he had to drag everyone else down as well.

"You have to make your own mistakes and learn from them. You have to get hurt and deal with it in your own way. Tim and Steph aren't the same as Dick and me. Tim isn't going to need to go soul searching and Steph doesn't lock herself up from feeling. They might hurt each other and they might not. That's up for them to find out for themselves."

"So you're saying I should tell Tim to give it a chance." Bruce sighed.

"I'm saying you should butt out." Barbara smirked. "Except the whole parental advisory thing. That might not be a terrible idea."

"--Barb!"

"Sorry, I just want you two nowhere near my computers." She raised her hands up in defense and began to wheel away. "Now if you'll excuse me, this session of Dr. Phil has ended. Next week, we'll be discussing PTSD and how we all cope in the completely-not-insane fashion of dressing in tights and fighting clowns at night. Stay tuned."

After she left, Steph glanced at Bruce. "I don't want to end up like Barbara and Dick. You know, out of love."

Bruce shook his head. "I don't know much about love, but I do know they never fell out of it."

"Then what happened?"

"Maybe they loved each other a bit too much."

 


	4. Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred doesn't usually ask for anything, but when he does, the Batfamily always tries to deliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Centered around whole fam-squad!
> 
> I meant to post this last sunday and then the weekend/week got away from me! Enjoy some Batfam fluff!!!

Alfred almost never asked for anything outside of the occasional need to ask Bruce or the kids not to get themselves killed. Apart from that, the requests are few and far between.

Bruce was convinced he saved them for leverage purposes, but he knew that whatever the request (maybe outside of the safety one), he would do what he could to make it happen. Bruce was not lost on the fact that Alfred raised him and was the very reason for his own current existence. Had he not stuck by his side, he wouldn't be here and neither would the kids. They knew that too.

So when Alfred suggested it, Bruce was taken off guard at first. For one thing, the idea came out from beyond left field. He was always suggesting they do more normal things for the sake of the children (and for Bruce too, really), but  _this_? This was an entirely different and uncharacteristic level of normal and he wasn't sure his team was going to be on board for it. That didn't matter though, because they were going to do it whether they liked it or not. 

Whether  _he_ liked it or not.

 He sent a group message out to the team, requiring them all to meet him at the Batcave before patrol that night. He didn't provide any details other than the fact that it involved Alfred. He knew if he said  _he_ needed something, Jason wouldn't show, but Alfred? Their loyalty to him was solid and their love was even more so. He understood and respected that. Bruce knew he wasn't an easy pill to swallow and frankly didn't see fit to change that to continue being Batman. Alfred was there for emotional support and he was their to keep their asses safe.  

He knew it still wouldn't be easy.

"Has Alfred been brainwashed or replaced with a robotic double? Because all I need is a DNA sample of some sort to prove either, especially if he's under some kind of serum." Tim immediately began making his way over to Barbara's computers to run a diagnostic.

"Don't be ridiculous." Damian rolled his eyes. "Surely Clayface is behind such a dastardly request, but what's his play, father?" 

“It is a pretty quiet time of year. Even villains take advantage of the great outdoors.” Tim admitted. “You may not be far from something there, Demon Spawn.”

The youngest Robin rolled his eyes. “When are you people going to realize I’m the most capable? I combine Grayson’s skill, Drake’s deduction, Todd’s boldness, and Gordon’s brains.” 

Dick ruffled Damian's hair. “Easy there, squirt. I could get on board with some of that, but no one’s outsmarting Babs anytime soon.” 

“Yeah, I gotta agree with Golden Boy on this one.” Jason cut in. “Barb’s the brains of the operation. End of story.”

“How come _we_ weren’t mentioned in your little “perfect combination” theory?” Steph placed her hands on her hips. Cass cocked an eyebrow in suspicion as well from beside her.

“Because _Fatgirl_ …” Damian's smile was wicked. “You don’t have any superior traits unless you count illiteracy and a bad mouth.”

Tim lunged to pounce on Damian in the girl’s defense. “Why I outta-” 

Bruce quickly reached out and snapped the teenager back in restraint. “Easy.”

He couldn’t let this incessant banter go on much further or they’ll never make it out to patrol or settle this whole favor for Alfred. He turned to Damian in disapproval and raised a stern finger at the small boy. 

“Cassandra has instinct and stealth that you’ll never achieve if you don’t learn to stop underestimating others. Stephanie has physical strength and intimidation that you’d be lucky to ever accomplish. You lack maturity, boy wonder, and don’t forget that you’ve got miles to go before you’re remotely ready to be on your own as a hero. Apologize.”

“Sorry…” He grumbled under his breath.

Damian was silent and sulked in the corner while Tim calmed down a bit on the other side of Bruce. Jason was quickly growing bored from all the family drama, as per usual, and stood up.

“So when are you going to tell us which villain is behind all of this bullshit?”

"This isn't a play." 

"No way are you actually considering going along with this!" Steph scowled.

"I'm not considering it. We're doing it."

"Jesus Christ, is Alfred taking out a collection for our balls or something? Or are we going for a full-blown castration?" Jason spat.

"Yeah, I mean Jay hasn't even gotten to use his properly yet." Dick retorted and the other kids snickered as well.

Jason punched Dick's shoulder, but it didn't deter the older boy's laughter. "Fuck off, Golden boy. Just because Barb finally came within arms reach of your namesake doesn't make you a badass."

"Todd's obvious virginity aside, this is absurd, father. Surely there's evil afoot here."

"Or maybe he's finally losing it." Cass mumbled.

"There's no scheme or evil doing or insanity." Bruce sighed. "Alfred just wants us to all have a nice, normal day together. I don't think that's too hard."

"Have you seen our "family"?" Jason stood up. "We're all a bunch of candidates for Arkham's "sociopath of the year" awards with a shit ton of daddy issues and God complexes. We're a pretty fucked up motley crew. I mean, Jesus, Bruce. You expect that little demon to smile and eat chocolate bunnies." 

"I'll have you know, I've consumed many rabbits in my lifetime and if you had the refined taste I do, you'd appreciate that." 

"Chocolate, Dami, chocolate." Dick sighed. "It's an easter candy."

"That's ridiculous."

"My point, exactly!" Jason exclaimed. 

"Alfred wants to do this. It will make him happy." Bruce spoke slowly and shook his head. "I don't know why, but we're going to do it. You want to make him happy, right?"

The others fell silent, even Jason, but it was obvious no one was happy about it.

"Fine, we'll do it." Tim groaned. "For Alfred."

 

* * *

 

The Wayne Easter brunch drew in quite the gathering. Of course some of Gotham’s greatest elites along with their children joined Bruce and company in the large and roaming greenery in the backyard of Wayne Manor. After much kicking and screaming (literally), the Batkids were all dressed and cleaned up for the day. Getting them to all peacefully and cohesively interact with the others was proving to be especially difficult, namely for Damian, but it was considerably smoother than expected.

Dick was the most used to large events such as these, having attended the most as Bruce’s ward, but those like Damian and the girls were less accustom to the setting and what behavior was required for them. Even Jason wasn’t being terribly outwardly cynical at least around Alfred. He’d attended a few during his run as Robin, but they sure weren’t his scenes. 

“You know, I don’t really mind the clothes.” Dick mused as he looked down at his khaki dress pants and dark Oxfords. He fiddled with his light blue tie. “I’d say I look pretty good in pastels.” 

Jason glared next to him. “You really don’t have an ounce of dignity do you? How the fuck is this enjoyable for anyone?”

“C’mon Jason, I think you’re asking the wrong person about dignity.” A familiar and snarky voice came from behind them. “He wore short-shorts to fight crime for God’s sake.” 

The boys turned to see Barbara Gordon in all her Sunday-best glory and sans glasses. She wore a light green sundress with an appropriate but not prudish cut. Her long, red hair was straightened and smooth as it flowed past her shoulders. Jason glanced at Dick and would be remiss to say he didn’t notice the stupid and drunken grin that captured his brother’s face.

He recovered enough to respond, of course, because rarely was Dick Grayson ever at a loss for words. “I had awesome legs. Sorry I was proud of them.”

She covered her mouth as she looked at the two of them. “Oh my God, you match.”

“Don’t remind us.” Jason gritted.

“The girls match too!” Barbara squealed as she looked over to a miserable Cass and Steph, sitting at the picnic table along with Tim.

“Don’t forget Alfred and Brucie.”

Barbara laughed outwardly and moved towards Dick to wrap her arms around his waist and stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“I think you guys look adorable. Especially you, Boy Wonder. Did you comb your hair for once?”

He grinned down at her. “I may or may not have enlisted in the help of a comb this morning.”

“Enlightening.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Barb. Meanwhile, we have to do “yard games”, take family pictures, and interact with all of this snotty kids from the neighborhood.” 

“Relax, Todd, I think you can put your pseudo-badass image to rest for the day to enjoy some potato salad and look for eggs if Alfred wants you to. You may even have a good time.”

“Yeah, Jay, lighten up. It’s a beautiful day, and we’ve all got a running bet on when Damian's going to lash out on the other kids for being unable to find the Easter eggs.” 

Jason snorted. “Bruce caught him trying to rig them with firecrackers this morning. What an amateur. Everyone knows stink-bombs are the way to go.”

Dick tried to look concerned, but found himself much more amused at the idea than he’d like to admit. “You didn’t.”

Jason winked. “I wasn’t going to do anything to ruin Alfred’s day, but let’s just say the kiddies all have a special treat in their Easter baskets from their big bro.”

 

* * *

 

“Wait, why do I have to team up with Damian?” Tim groaned.

“Because he’s your brother.” Bruce offered.

“He’s everyone’s brother!”

“Yeah, but I already called Cass.” Steph shrugged. “And Dick and Jason are already a team.”

“Well why can’t I be teamed up with Babs?”

“Because don’t you think if I had the option that I’d rather have my body pressed up against Barb than Dick?”

“Some sources would say otherwise.” Dick chuckled and Jason elbowed him in the gut.

“You finally got to use your name against someone else, huh, Boy Wonder?” Barbara winked. “In all seriousness, I’ve got a camera so I’m sticking on the sidelines to be sure that _none_ of this is ever forgotten.”

“That’s very kind of you, Miss Gordon.” Alfred smiled. “As for you, Master Tim, please play with your younger brother as he would not have a partner otherwise.”

“What about Bruce?”

“I’m not participating.” Bruce nodded.

“Oh no, Master Bruce, you are. I’ve got a special partner for you.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed in confusion, but his face turned an uncharacteristic shade of red when Selina Kyle waltzed across the lawn. Even on Easter, she donned a tight, short, black dress. She wore flats to make the occasion easier on her feet, but there was still a level of smoky heat to her that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the pastel-colored crowd.

“Ready to have our legs tangled together, Brucie?” She cocked an eyebrow. Something told everyone she was not referring to the three-legged race.

Bruce opened his mouth to choke out a response, but all sexual tension was dispelled by a familiar voice.

“Father!” Damian stormed over rather indignantly. It wasn’t lost on anyone that the boy was covered in chocolate and his good clothes were essentially ruined from “playing” with the other children. “I demand you expel Ronald Wimbleton at once. We were playing a game called “tag” in which one whom is “it” chases the other people to try and proclaim them “it”. However, when I tagged him he claimed he’d invented an invisible force field so I could not tag him.”

“Oh boy.” Steph and Cass both muttered.

“I told him he didn’t and would never achieve half the brain cells possible to accomplish such a feat. When he objected, I simply proved him wrong by throat-punching him and now he is crying in the corner to his mother about fairness, in between gasps of course. I would like him expelled on such grounds of dishonesty! It’s subterfuge I tell you.”

Everyone was silent for a moment; taking in the information given to them and all reacted in ways appropriate to them. Bruce was massaging his temples in frustration, annoyed he had to have this conversation _yet again_ with his son. Alfred didn’t seem the least bit surprised and instead appeared rather proud that Damian didn’t intend on killing anyone this time. Selina looked impressed and was glancing from Damian to Bruce, obviously making comparisons. Steph and Cass were shaking their heads disapprovingly, occasionally looking to each other in disbelief that _this_ was their family. Barbara was actually trying to suppress a laugh at Damian’s ignorance by burying her face into Dick’s shoulder. Dick was experiencing a similar sensation, but bit his lip to try and disguise it. Jason nodded in agreement with the boy, because he hated kids who tried to pull stuff like that growing up. Tim just groaned.

“Seriously, this is my point! I don’t want him attached to me.”

Damian scoffed. “As if I’d want your gangly legs anywhere near me, Drake.” He scanned his eyes over the group. “Of all my options, father aside, I’d much rather have Grayson as a partner.”

“Why? Because Dick buys you ice cream?”

 “I can’t help but be everyone’s favorite, Timmy.”

“If you’d analyzed the competition, you’d note that a certain level of grace and finesse are required. On top of that, I’m the quickest of all of us so we would be an unbeatable team.”

“The only running you're good at is with your mouth.” Steph teased.

“You try running with those thighs, _Fatgirl_.”

“Stop calling her that!” Tim dove on top of Damian and the two boys wrestled on the ground in a rather tumbling fashion before ripped apart by none other than Selina. She managed to maneuver the two so that they were both in a headlock under each of her arms.

“Let go!” Tim muttered.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want Miss Kyle as my partner.” Damian voiced.

“Like father like son, huh?” Selina smirked at Bruce, who still couldn’t get much of a proper string of words out to her.

Instead he turned to Alfred. “Between the wardrobe drama, stink-bombs in Easter baskets, fighting and bickering… I’m sorry things couldn’t be as normal as you wanted today.” 

Alfred smiled. “It’s the thought that counts, Master Bruce. It pains me that we only get together as a group when there’s evil afoot. Sometimes, I just like to see you all happy.”

Jason clapped a hand on Alfred’s shoulder. “I love ya, Al, but if you think this pastel tie makes me happy, than this crime-fighting is getting to your head. Let’s just go bowling next time.” 

The old man grinned. “I would like that very much, Master Jason.”


	5. 4 Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin flies from the nest and is forced to say goodbye to the people he loves most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson and his relationships with the ones he will miss the most.

_Alfred_

 

Alfred insisted he pack all of Dick’s necessary belongings for old time’s sake, but Dick refused to let him do it alone. It was funny, because Alfred had done everything for him growing up, but the image bothered him now. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the help or the care, but he knew he had to do things for himself now and that the days where Alfred coddled him were ending. It was time to grow up.

“I remember your first day here.” Alfred stopped folding shirts suddenly and his voice was barely above a whisper.

Dick didn’t answer right away and instead looked up and around at his bedroom of the past 8 years. He remembered feeling trapped and lonely in its wide-open space and long windows at first, but over time it slowly developed into the safe haven it was today. Movie posters were tacked across the walls at various heights while video games lay haphazardly across the wood floor, marking the picture of an adolescent’s safe space. He smiled fondly at the thought of sneakily evading getting caught playing PlayStation until all hours of the night.

“It was raining.” Dick returned after the full effect of the past washed over him. “I had been crying. Bruce went out. You taught me chess to make me feel better.”

“Master Bruce was troubled he didn’t know how to console you. He was afraid as well.”

“You weren’t.”

Alfred smiled weakly and placed the shirt into the suitcase. “Master Dick, I was terrified, but you were such a sweet little boy… You’re still a sweet boy. Not so little anymore, I’m afraid.”

They both directed their attentions to the doorframe with various marks, tracking Dick’s height along with the age it was recorded. Bruce and Alfred’s heights were on the doorframe as well for comparison. Dick remembered trying to stretch himself out a few times in effort to reaching their heights, but since gave up on being taller than Bruce.

“I distinctly remember it being your mission to be taller than Miss Gordon.”

Dick felt a nostalgic sense of pride expand in his chest over the accomplishment. He’d been a late bloomer, but he finally popped over Batgirl in stature.

Still, the melancholic feeling he never considered couldn’t be shaken. Alfred still remained very still and staring off into a different planet. He always pondered what was on the old man’s mind through the days. He constantly had to watch the people he loved go into battle every night and build them back up again when they’re broken. It begged the question: who builds Alfred up? Even when they weren’t gallivanting around at night, he supported them in the day. 

They were nothing without him. _He_ was nothing without him.

Dick quietly walked across the room and enveloped Alfred into a tight, but warm hug. He’d been hugged by his old friend many times, at least way more than he’d been hugged by Bruce, but there was a certain sensation that neither wanted to let go of the little boy that once lived in this room, of the safety. They stayed like that for a good long while, allowing memories to flow in and out of the embrace.

“We’ll keep your room the same way you left it, Master Dick.” Tears could be heard in his voice, but both chose to ignore it.

“Okay.” He was relieved.

 

* * *

 

 

_Jason_

 

“Are you sure?” The younger boy seemed incredibly unsure of potentially taking up the mantle for good. They both glanced up at the glass cases that were on full display in the inner sanctum of the Batcave.

“I know I wasn’t around as long as we’d planned before you were left to fully be Robin, but I’ve seen what you can do.” Dick nodded at Jason. “You’ve got this. Besides, you’ve never struck me as someone who’s afraid of a challenge.”

Some of the color that had drained from Jason’s face returned at the snarky remark. “I just don’t know if I can be Batman’s little bitch for as long as you were.”

He clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re being pretty bitchy right now, so I’d say you’re blending into the part.”

“Very funny.”

The 12-year-old boy had an abundance of natural talent and an overabundance of cockiness. However, a lot of that cockiness made him bold and fearless in a way Dick could never be. He knew it bothered Bruce, because Jason was a lot more of a wildcard, but maybe someone who stood their own ground would be good for the Dark Knight. Maybe he wouldn’t need to leave to be his own person. Jason hoped not. For as much as he and Bruce disagreed on a lot of things, he wanted him to be happy. He knew for sure that his leaving did _not_ make him happy, even if he tried seeming passive.

“Jay, I know you’re nervous, but he’s proud of you. I can see that. You’ve got the strappings to be a way better Robin than I ever was.”

“Why? Because I don’t seem like someone with another place to be?”

“No, because you know who you are and you’re way tougher than I was at your age.”

“Well, yeah. You wore short-shorts.”

“I’m going to need to tell Barb and Alfred to stop sharing those pictures with newcomers. I’ve got an image to uphold as Nightwing.”

“Weren’t you considering growing out a mullet?" 

“As a joke, dude.” He said rather defensively. He’d received enough grief over the idea as is. Deep down he knew he was lucky to receive such brutal honesty.

For a second, the teasing faded. The two boys stared at each other for a moment. They weren’t best friends or even really close friends for that matter, yet there was untapped brotherhood between them that would grow if they allowed it. It was a shame Dick’s departure would cut it so short. Dick always wanted a little brother and Jason fit a lot of that criteria. He would prove to be a challenge for Bruce, one that would be easier if Dick stuck around, but he needed to do this. He needed to do it despite Bruce’s disapproval.

He just hoped he wasn’t letting the younger boy down in putting his needs first.

Jason smiled. “Hey, for what it’s worth… I’m gonna miss having you around here. You really get him.”

They both knew who Jason was referring to and Dick’s smile faltered. “Yeah… Well, maybe not the way that I thought.”

“He say anything to you about leaving?”

“Nah, but that’s Bruce.”

“That’s Bruce… And you really think I can keep this up… This Robin thing…” 

“I know you can.” Dick smiled.

“And when you come back, we can shit-talk Bruce and swap stories. I’m sure there will be plenty.” 

Dick laughed and loosely hugged Jason. “Sounds perfect, man.”

“Alright, well get out of here, Nightwing. This isn’t your nest anymore.”

“It’s all yours now, Robin.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Babs_

 

She hadn’t reacted well when he first told her he was leaving Gotham to create his own team. She’d snapped at him rather harshly and didn’t pull her punches the last time they sparred. She muttered a half-hearted apology, but he knew she wanted him to hurt for leaving her. She felt like he was abandoning her and he understood that. He would feel the same way if she up and left the way he was.

The night before he was set to leave, he donned the Robin suit for one last time, feeling it was only right to have a proper sendoff to the figure for ceremonial and sentimental purposes. That, and he felt like he’d need extra padding when he said goodbye to Babs. 

He was just about to sneak out his window, when he heard a tapping at the glass and turned to see none other than Batgirl standing on his other balcony. She weakly waved her gloved hand at him and he didn’t hesitate to join her outside. 

They both leaned on opposite railings, trying to simultaneously avoid and confront the elephant in the room. He was actually thrilled to see her as Batgirl, because this is how they started, Batgirl and Robin, and it only seemed fitting for a goodbye.

Although he really hoped it wasn’t goodbye.

“What time do you leave tomorrow?” Barbara was always more pragmatic than him. 

“Sunrise, I think.” He shrugged like his entire life wasn’t about to be uprooted in the morning, as if he wasn’t terrified and exhilarated by the anticipation. He knew his flippancy couldn’t disguise his fears, not from her at least.

“Has Bruce said anything?”

“He didn’t beat my ass in sparring practice as a goodbye if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“If that was supposed to be a goodbye, then I wouldn’t be here, would I?” She pursed her lips in that daring way that always sucked him into a trance. He wondered if she knew how crazy about her he was. She had to know. She definitely knew. 

“I’m not sure how you can make much more of an impression than that.” He teased and although they could continue this playful banter for hours, Babs clearly had other plans.

Her eyes, typically dancing with playfulness or filled with fire, now seemed rather sad above anything else. They were still beautiful, of course, because Dick swore that she was and always will be the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“I was being selfish.” She slid off her cowl to reveal her whole face to him. He followed suit and removed his mask. “Of course you have to go lead this team. It’s an incredible opportunity for you and you’re going to be so amazing.” She meant it too. “You can’t be Robin forever and it’s really time that everyone sees you and respects you for the hero that you are. I knew that, too, when you told me. God, I’ve always known it. I’m not just backtracking or saying all of this, because you’re going and there’s nothing we can do about it, but when you told me you were leaving I just… We’ve always had each other’s backs, right?”

“Right.”

Tears clouded her vision and he took a step closer to her attentively. She smiled weakly at the gesture and took his gloved hand in hers.

“The thought of turning around on patrol or while fighting bad guys and you not being there… Well, that terrified me.”

Daringly, he reached out and caught a loose tear. “Babs, you and I both know you don’t need me to school the bad guys.”

She shook her head, which in turn shook a few more hot tears loose. “That’s not what I mean. Yes, I’m nervous about a change in team dynamic, but I’m adaptive and calculative enough even for Jason’s unpredictability, but God, Dick, you’re my best friend! It’s been you and I, dynamic duo, since the beginning for me. No one gets me the way you do. That’s the whole reason I was such a jerk about all of this and I realize I can’t be like Bruce. I can’t try and hold you back just because I’m scared and because I…”

He hung onto her every word and watched the gears in her head catch up to her mouth. There was an obvious reprogram take place, like she was letting raw emotion guide her too much right now. She bit back part of what she was going to say, though he’d be a liar to say it wasn’t going to keep him up on several occasions for years to come. 

Instead of continuing, she simply lunged at him, slightly destabilizing his balance, and locked him into a bone-crushing hug. He returned the gesture instinctually, allowing himself to get lost in the smell of her hair and the feeling of her warmth pressed to full capacity against his.

“Just because I’m going to miss you, Boy Wonder.” She whispered and he felt chills travel down his spine.

“I’m going to miss you too, Batgirl.” He pulled away slightly to look her in the eyes. “Promise to look after the team for me, okay? I mean… this new kid looks good and all, but I can’t have him leading you guys into more danger than I would.”

“I know-”

“-And Bruce… God, please help him lighten up. He can’t stay entrenched in darkness forever and I’m afraid someday it’s gonna kill him.”

“-Okay, but Dick…”

“Alfred takes too much care of everyone you know? He needs someone to look after him too. I don’t know if it has to be you, Babs, but remind Bruce not to take him for granted, okay? I couldn’t live with myself if-”

Before he could spiral into his nervous breakdown any further, she grabbed his face in her hands and pressed her mouth to his without second thought. Any ill feelings he’d had moments ago were faded into a thing of the past. He wasn’t sure how long their mouths were melded together, but it was nothing like the chaste kiss he’d stolen from her all those years ago. He didn’t know what it meant. He didn’t know if she was just trying to stop him from having a panic attack, if she was so overcome with the feeling of missing him, or just because she wanted to.

In that moment it didn’t matter, because her lips were soft and firm and impossible not to lose oneself in and he was leaving in the morning anyway so he might as well enjoy the fact that the girl of his dreams showed up on his balcony, confessed how much he meant to her, and was kissing him with no abandon.

When it unfortunately had to end, it was a slow separation, a sign of need on both their ends. His eyes fluttered open moments after it was over, relishing in what had just happened. Her face was pink and she bit her lip nervously as she pulled back to get a better look at him. Surely, he was embarrassingly red.

“You’ve got this.” He’d never heard her sound more sure about anything in their entire time of knowing each other. “You’re going to do, see, and feel such amazing things and you deserve every moment of it. It’s not always going to be easy, but when has anything in our lives ever been easy?”

“What if I change and we don’t… Well, we don’t…”

“Don’t worry about me.” She shook her head. “Dick, I was being selfish before and I’m sorry for that. I can’t wait to meet this Nightwing guy. He sounds pretty amazing. And when he comes back, Gotham will be ready for him.” 

He didn’t know much about the journey he was about to embark on. He didn’t know he would meet goddesses or fall in love with another woman. He didn’t know that he’d be set to marry this other woman and truly love her with everything he could offer. However, he did know that if he had to choose between hanging out with anyone in the entire world and sitting around talking about everything and nothing with Babs, he would choose the ladder every time. 

“You think I should have dry-cleaned the suit for Jason?”

“You’re such a dork, Dick Grayson.”

“I’m your dork, though.”

“Yeah, you are.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Bruce_

 

Bruce actually wasn’t there in the morning when he was heading out. Instead, he left him a box full of useful items to keep around Titan Tower, presumably handmade by Wayne enterprises for this specific reason. 

Dick was briefly relieved he didn’t have to say goodbye to his mentor and father figure, because he still couldn’t figure out what to say. He wanted to thank him, but also rebel. He wanted to say he loved him, but resented him in some ways. He wanted to hug him, but also sort of punch him. It was too complicated to throw into words.

Then, as he got on the jet and looked down at everyone waving at him, his heart grew heavy at the lack of support. Bruce really was pissed at him for leaving. He would never forgive him. He was abandoning the team.

Dick pressed his head against the glass window and closed his eyes. He only had the future to look forward to and had to remind himself that he had to do this with or without the Batman. 

Suddenly, with seemed a lot better than it did yesterday.

Bruce, on the other hand, sat in his office despite Alfred's pleas and drank. He wasn't one to use alcohol as a crutch in the ways many did in Gotham. He saw it as a sign of total weakness, being so helpless and heartbroken over the world that you'd rather douse yourself in a fake reality. He didn't even drink much growing up in High School and he had the heavy weight of his parent's death hanging over him, still fresh and new. However, watching through security cameras of Dick climbing into the helicopter, probably not to come back anytime soon, pushed him into that headspace. He couldn't protect the boy anymore, because he wasn't really a boy anymore. 

He knew deep down if he went there and waved or said goodbye and that he loved him, Dick might stay and despite Bruce's desire to make that happen, it wasn't what was best for his son. He had to grow.

He had to become his own hero.


	6. 4 Greetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson returns to his old stomping grounds after 4 definitive and important years of his life, but it's time to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson and the ones he's missed the most. A companion piece to the last chapter, because I love to parallel beginnings and endings!

_Alfred_

 

Dick would have been lying if he said he wasn’t elated to see his old friend for the first time in 4 years. He wasn’t sure how time got away from him so fast, but battling alongside the Titans kept it moving nonstop. He’d communicated with Alfred daily whether it was through FaceTime, phonecalls, or texts. He was really lucky to know the one old man in Gotham city that was good with technology.

Logic would have probably said to stop and see Bruce first, but Alfred knew he was coming and Dick wanted a pleasant greeting before anything else. Gotham was home to a lot of unpleasantness for Dick, but Alfred Pennyworth was never part of that equation.

He burst through the front doors of Wayne Manor as if he were 12 and coming home for summer break from school. He bound up the long and winding stairs that would wind anyone who wasn’t used to scaling buildings and beating villains on the daily. When he made the first right off the stairs, he grinned at the sight of the sign on the door that still read: _Dick’s Room._

Alfred kept to his promise about leaving everything just as it was. The room stood the tests of time and appeared as if nothing had changed. The only exception to this idea was the lack of dust that would have cultivated had it really been left unkempt. Dick briefly wondered how much time Alfred spent dusting every crack and crevice in his old room. He also wondered if he found the magazines he used to keep in a secret stash in the back of his closet. 

He carefully peeled back the loose plank in the floor of his closet and smirked when he saw they were still there. He gently pulled them out and mused at the lack of dust in here as well. 

“I’ve definitely been caught.” He chuckled as he briefly glanced at the Playboy on top.

“And I really haven’t ever been discrete about my thing for redheads, apparently.” 

He placed the magazines back, preferring to pretend that he’d never found them and that Alfred never found them for that matter (or worse, looked at them).

Dick stood next to the doorframe and grinned. He was even taller than when he’d left. By his calculations, he’d be about a head taller than Barbara now. She was going to be so pissed. 

He moved to carefully sit on the bed and faced the window, almost afraid to disturb the pause of time in this room, as if he could revisit this period of life if he kept everything the same. He didn’t regret leaving for one second. He had to grow and find himself, but there was just something about coming home… 

He thought about what it meant to be home and how different he was now than when he’d left. He led his own team, became his own man, fell in love, fell out of love, fought his own demons, and ultimately came out the wiser. He still had far to go, but for now, his Titan days were over. 

He closed his eyes and breathed. He felt at peace, like he knew himself and it contrasted so greatly to how he felt years ago when he stood over his bed and packed with shaky hands beside Alfred. He was a man now, or at least the makings of one. In a few years, he’d be the same age as Bruce when he started his whole crusade. That was also mind-boggling. 

“Care for a game of chess, sir?” A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts and Dick smiled so hard he thought his face might break off.

 

* * *

 

 

_Jason_

 

“Hey man.” Dick smiled lightly. “I can’t say you pulled off the suit the same way I did, because you don’t have my legs, but you made it your own and I respect that. I made a list just for this conversation for our long-awaited and promised shit-talking session about Bruce. Try not to interrupt, hotshot.” 

He cleared his throat. “There was once a time when the Batsuit had nipples. Bruce actually thought “wait, I know what this suit is missing… No it isn’t a bigger utility belt or a fabric that breathes better, but NIPPLES”. You know Bruce. He’s the most stubborn guy in the whole world. I told him a million times that the nipples were not something that anybody needed to see. One of the reasons we wear clothes/costumes is to cover our nipples. Next thing we knew he was going to try and get bellybuttons on there. Anyway, it took a certain “Is Batman Lactating?” article to snap him back into place. I’m still convinced he did it as some weird way to impress Catwoman.” 

“I’m sure you’ll agree with this one, but that man needs a bell around his neck. Even when he’s not trying to be stealth, he’s ALWAYS stealth. I’ve seen him scare the shit out of a poor man at the supermarket just because the man doesn’t know how to make noises while he walks.”

“Not to mention, Bruce Wayne is a total cock-block. I got this vibe from your letters as well, but the man never let me have a romantic moment in the sun as long as he was around. Whether it was flashing the batsignal while I was on dates or giving me AND Babs “the talk” after Alfred spilled the beans that I had a thing for her. I feel like the only reason she never made fun of me for that was because it was truly just as terrible for her as it was for me.”

“The entire time I’ve been away, Bruce would make me send coordinates to him from wherever I was, coming up with some bullshit reason to know why. Instead of just saying he’s worried, he’d be like “Selina wants something special for our anniversary, are you near Paris?” when I know good and well that Selina would just steal that stuff anyway.”

“He’s used the exact same cologne for the past 15 years… How hasn’t anyone realized he’s Batman yet?”

“I walked in on him and some member of the UN once when I was 9 or 10 and instead of sitting me down and explaining what I’d accidentally seen, he tried to brainwash me. Then, he made Alfred tell me, which was so much worse. Sidenote: Alfred used to be a player, man. 

“He’s created several vantage points in the Batcave that only he knows about just so he can spy on the other people on the team.”

“For an incredibly smart guy, Bruce cannot work Netflix for the life of him.”

The laughter left Dick’s voice when he got to the last one. “I wrote this on the plane ride to Titan’s tower, because I was sure I’d be back a lot sooner, but uh, the last thing on here is that for as overprotective, emotionally shut off, and controlling as he can be, Bruce loves hard and would never let anything happen to us.”

He breathed in cool air sharply, trying to eclipse any tears that threatened to fill his eyes.

“I’m sorry, man.” He sighed, shakily. “I don’t blame Bruce for what happened to you, but I should have been there. I said you were ready, but I didn’t know that. I just… I just wanted to leave, to get out, but I didn’t think hard enough about the consequences of what I left behind.”

He reached out and touched the stone that read “Jason Todd” in dark and bold letters, as if he needed a reminder that he was taken far too soon.

“God, it should have been me.”

 

* * *

 

_Babs_

He actually had to look up where she was living now to track her down. She’d hopped from apartment to apartment over the past few years and was now settled with a roommate who he presumed had no idea about any secret identities or anything like that. Knowing her, she’d probably been close (or Barbara’s definition of close) to being discovered and hightailed out of a few places before the dust settled.

He only saw it fit to stop by at night, even if he ran the risk of scaring her, but he figured she would know by now that he was back in town. She probably knew before he did. 

He didn’t even get to knock on her window before he heard, “So, you must be Nightwing.”

He grinned ear-to-ear, because he just couldn’t resist and climbed through the window she’d left unlocked for him. “Am I this predictable?”

“Yes, and security footage helps.”

He wasn’t fully in the room for more than 3 seconds before she flung herself into his arms and unlike last time, he didn’t waver for a second in stance. The last time he'd seen her she was in a wheelchair and now just a pair of crutches lie in the corner of her room. It'd been a miracle what was happening to her. He squeezed her back and closed his eyes to marvel at the fact that when he did, she smelled and felt the exact same. It was like being home.

“I love the new suit.” She teased when they separated, but a pink hue clung to her cheeks that indicated she wasn’t entirely mocking him.

“I like this new look too.” He referred to her purple pajama bottoms and oversized t-shirt of The Smiths.

“You’re staring, Former Boy Wonder.”

He caught her gaze and shrugged. “I don’t know, Babs, I’ve been to different dimensions and I still haven’t seen anyone or anything like you.”

Her lips twitched and he could see the color in her cheeks intensify. “I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment, okay?”

“You should.” He agreed. “I’ve missed you. 

“You did?” He could see her mentally admonish herself for asking, because truthfully, Barbara was more than supportive about his being in love with Kori. He didn’t get the indication that she was heartbroken or anything, but more or less felt a little awkward being on the outside of his world for so long. He’d grown up quite a bit. 

“I mean, you seemed like you were having a lot of fun.” She corrected herself.

He nodded in agreement. “Some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life… And some of the hardest times I’ve had in my entire life. I made a lot of _good_ friends…”

“… Engagement sounds more like friends to me.” Again, Babs was always more pragmatic than him.

“It was… Until now.”

Her gaze softened. “I’m sorry, Dick.” 

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

“And you’re doing okay?”

“I’ve found ways to cope.” He joked and knew she was going to take it the wrong way.

“Mhmm.” She smirked and now she was just teasing him.

“What?”

“I’m sure you found “ways to cope” all right.”

“Are you accusing me of being a whore?” Dick feigned offense by holding his hand over his heart.

She audibly laughed at that and he felt his heart soar. It had been years since he last heard her laugh. As a kid he thought something big of himself when he got her to really laugh (even though it wasn’t that difficult), because the very sound of it felt like summer vacation. She was relaxed, free, and enjoying life. He loved seeing her like that.

“I didn’t say that!”

“You’re slut-shaming me, Barbara Gordon!”

She smacked his chest lightly. “You’re such a dork, Dick Grayson.”

He seized the opportunity to take the hand that had smacked his chest and gently tugged her closer to him. She didn’t show any signs of resistance as his gloved thumb gently caressed her knuckles. 

“I’m your dork, though.” He said softly.

The mood of the room changed instantly from friendly to a heavier atmosphere. It wasn’t foreign to them, but rather unexplored and ignored. She could sense the change too and while their younger versions might have laughed it off with a lame joke or left the awkwardness in the air, neither of them moved.

She stared back at him fondly and he wondered for the millionth time if she would have told him she loved him the night he left had it not been for that magnificent brain of hers. She always had this way of giving herself away in glances, at least to him. Her gazes were intimate, regardless of whether they expressed excitement or suffering, anger or confusion, hatred or adoration. At this point in their relationship, he was pretty sure he’d been on the receiving end of most of them.

“Yeah.” She whispered and her eyes flickered to his mouth for a moment. “You are.”

“I’m glad.” He stepped closer to her and honed in on her mouth. 

She blinked and raised a finger to his lips. “Wait, so you leave for 4 years, barely write, get engaged to another woman, only tell me about said woman when you invited me to your wedding, and then decide you can just waltz through my window and charm your way into getting a kiss from me?”

“Is it working?” He tried and when she rolled her eyes he smiled earnestly. “Babs, if you think for one second that you weren’t with me every moment I was with the Titans, you’re not the genius I know so well. You’re my best friend! Look, I kept the photo booth pictures we took together in my utility belt at all times. Remember? We were--”

And with that, she closed the galaxies between them and kissed him, gently and hesitant as if she was afraid he’d run off if she applied more pressure. He pulled her closer to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere this time.

 

* * *

 

  

_Bruce_

Dick could have sworn he flew home after leaving Barbara’s apartment, but the sense of weightlessness soon came to a halting stop when he approached Wayne Manor. He wondered if Bruce was on a late night patrol or if any of the usual thugs were giving him any grief. If so, it wasn’t anything bad enough for him to call Babs for help and he didn’t hear any rapid police chases spiraling down the streets.

Despite his initial desire, he went through the front door instead of climbing through a window to his bedroom. The doorway was dark with the exception of the somber glow of a lamp in the living room. 

He rarely ever saw Bruce sleep. In fact, when he was a kid he used to believe he just didn’t. At the beginning of his crusade, it was entirely plausible that this was true. The man still found himself occasionally plagued by his guilt-driven nightmares. Alfred wrote before that they’d only worsened at Jason’s death. Dick could relate in that sense. 

Still, there was an unexpected vulnerability about Bruce Wayne when he slept. Dick still saw him as a man that couldn’t be broken, a man that was impenetrable to weakness. Logically, he knew this wasn’t true, but seeing it was an entirely different experience than just knowing it.

His head was tilted back and his mouth slung open. Soft snores left his nose as his chest fell up and down in perfect rhythm. The furniture in Wayne Manor always appeared too decorative to be suitable for sleeping and he theorized this was so nobody stayed too long when meeting with Bruce. Still, the man toughed it out under a large book.

Dick tentatively picked up the book from his lap.

“What were you reading?” He whispered and was more than shocked at what he found.

The book was handmade, presumably by Alfred based on its meticulous note for detail and overall organization, but the cutouts, pictures, and prints were all retrieved by a rougher hand, one that didn’t have the patience to use scissors carefully or cut on the lines. Throughout the pages were various images, newspaper headlines, and reports on Dick’s run with the Titans. It dated back to the very beginning and until the end.

Too overcome with emotion to know exactly what to do with this information, all Dick could think to do was gently place the book back on Bruce’s lap. Surely, there’d be an exchange of some sort in the morning and he could better prepare for it. For now, he brought himself to gently rest a blanket over the sleeping man and kiss the top of his head. 

“Thanks Dad.”


	7. Group Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce created the secure group chat for work-related purposes exclusively, but as per usual with his children, things get out of hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce Wayne and his Batkids.

**Bruce:** I've created this line for us to use when we need to communicate and can't get away to talk over the comms. Please respond so that I know Barbara's programmed all of your phones properly.

 **Jason:** no

 **Barbara:** Did you really just insinuate that I could improperly setup a group chat line? You do realize I've seamlessly hacked the NSA, right? 

 **Barbara:** And the CIA.

 **Barbara:** And the Pentagon that one time.

 **Dick: i**  believe in ya babe but hella disappointed in the lack of nicknames/gc name

 **Damian:** This is just for work, Grayson.

 **Jason:** god this already suxx bawlz

 

 

 

_Barbara changed the group chat name to "Batfamily"_

 

 **Boy Wonder:** aw babs you changed it

 **Damian:** Really, Gordon?

 **Babs:** My bad...

 **Demon Spawn:** That's quite all right.

 **Demon Spawn:** HEY!

 **Demon Spawn:** CHANGE IT BACK IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL UNLEASH MY WRATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 **Tim:** Why don't I get a nickname???????

 **J-Bird:** cuz u suck replacement

 **Tim:** Dude stop typing like a middle aged man please and thank you.

 **J-Bird:** SMD

 **Demon Spawn:** What does that mean?

 **J-Bird:** ***eggplant emoji***

 **Demon Spawn:** I still don't understand, but I feel as though it's phallic-related given the source.

 **Boy Wonder:** nice deduction, dami!

 **Bruce:** Really, I just need you all to answer to let me know you get the messages. Nothing else.

 **Alfred:** I've received the messages, Master Bruce. Unfortunately.

 **J-Bird** : BURN

 **Steph:** Jfc 

 **Demon Spawn:** What does that mean, fatgirl?

 **Tim:** Barb never change his name

 **Demon Spawn:** Gordon, I swear I will destroy every ounce of tech you've ever possessed if you don't change my name back to my birth name.

 **Babs:** If you destroy my tech, how am I going to change it, though?

 **Tim:** She's got you there, devil child

 **Bruce:** Guys, stop comparing Damian to Satan, please. Again, this is just designed for work purposes, right Barbara?

 **Boy Wonder:** cass is missing out from all of this family fun

 

_J-Bird changed the group chat name to "Dick's Out for Harambe"_

 

 

 **Boy Wonder** : lmao harambe and i would make a cute couple

 **Steph:** Damn it's too bad I can't participate

 

_J-Bird changed the group chat name to "Steph Has a Penis"_

 

 **Bruce:** Jason.

 **J-Bird:** wat

 **Bruce:** 1\. Stop typing like that 2. Stop changing the name of the chat 3. Don't be crass

 **J-Bird:** n0o0ooo0000oo0o0oo

 

_Boy Wonder changed the group chat name to "Bat-Bitches_

 

 **Bruce:** Really, Dick? The crass comment goes for everyone!

 

 **Babs:** I like it.

 **J-Bird** : Ofc u do... he's ur lil dickie (;

 **Bruce:** JASON

 **J-Bird:** that's his name bby chill

 **Cass:** What did I wake up to?

 **Bruce:** Good, you all answered. Now, let's get down to business.

 **Boy Wonder:** TO DEFEAT 

 **Boy Wonder:** THE HUNS

 **Boy Wonder:** guess who watched mulan for the millionth time last night

 **Cass:** excellent movie

 **Tim:** It's no Lion King. I mean, Lion King has Elton John and that's just not possible to beat.

 **Babs:** Tarzan has Phil Collins.

 **J-Bird:** im w barbie

 **Babs:** I mean, I'm more of a Beauty in the Beast kind of girl when it comes to plot and aesthetic, but I'm a sucker for Genesis even post Peter Gabriel's departure so I'm biased.

 **J-Bird:** marry me 

 **Babs:** I try to make a rule of only dating one bird brain at a time.

 **Boy Wonder:** HA

 **Demon Spawn:** This is taking up my phone's battery. Father, is there anything of importance to discuss?

 

_Alfred left the groupchat._

 

 **Bruce:** We all live in the same house. Just speak to each other. You annoyed Alfred away.

 **Babs:** I don't live in the same house as everyone.

 **Cass:** You're always here, anyway.

 **Steph:** You're literally in Dick's room

 **Tim:** I can hear you typing through the walls.

 **Steph:** I'm glad it's just typing this time.

 **Demon Spawn:** What else would it be?

 **Boy Wonder:** oh... well babs is super ticklish

 **Babs:**...

 **Tim:**...

 **Bruce:**...

 **Cass:**...

 **Steph:** Omg this is so painful

 **Boy Wonder:** what? you are!

 **Babs:** That's really not the point.

 **Tim:** Honestly Babs, you should just move in at this point.

 **J-Bird:** ooooooooooh are barbie and ken gonna play house soon?

 **Bruce:** This isn't the place for this.

 **Babs** : Agreed. Let's talk crime fighting.

 **Boy Wonder** : ^^

 **Demon Spawn** : it would appear neither of you wish to live together.

 **Steph** : I gotta go with devil boy on this one

 

_Babs and Boy Wonder left the group chat_

 

 **J-Bird** : yo we can do that???

 **Bruce** : no.

 

 _J-Bird has left the group chat_.

 

 **Tim** : Wait, I'm listening through the wall. They have a place already!!!

 **Steph** : Those shits. They're moving? 

 **Tim** : And they're VERY happy about it from the sounds of it. ***gagging emoji****

 

 **Demon Spawn:** Does this mean my name isn't changing?!

 **Steph** : You're stuck with you're incredibly appropriate name.

 

_Demon Spawn has left the group chat._

 

 **Bruce:** STOP LEAVING!

 **Tim** : Sorry B, but this has gotten incredibly boring. 

 **Steph** : Yeah, see you later. I'm gonna hop over to the other group chat and ream them out there.

 **Bruce** : WHAT OTHER GROUP CHAT??????

 

 _Tim and Steph left the group chat_.

 

 **Bruce** : Cass?

 **Cass** : oh sorry

 

_Cass has left the group chat._

 

 **Bruce** : This is why I like Ace the best.


	8. Book Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Book smarts weren't all that important to Bruce if she was happy, but when he found out she wasn't, he knew there was something he had to do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Cass's father-daughter relationship, but very Cass-centric.
> 
> NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA BAT DAD!

He'd noticed it in little moments. He was a detective, after all, and did spend a good amount of time observing human behavior, even if it were normally the criminally insane. Regardless, he still learned a thing or two about reading people and understanding their hidden desires and motivations. 

It started with Jason, but it wasn't the boy's fault. Jason was surprisingly a massive literature expert and loved to talk about the books he lost himself in. Reading was one of his favorite past times aside from crimefighting. He hated reading textbooks and anything technical, but when it came to fiction, Jason read every single book in Bruce's personal library. He was fairly covert about it in the beginning, clearly afraid that someone will make fun of him for it, but when no such insults came, he grew more vocal about his literary adventures. Bruce always assumed it was a way for him to get away from it all and still have excitement. 

Anyway, Jason had been going through a phase where he had an affinity for the classics and was describing, at great length,  _Jane Eyre_ and why he considered it to be a remarkable piece for the feminist agenda. Cassandra hung on every one of his words, as she always seemed to when he talked about books. Bruce never blamed her, because Jason was always one of the most animated storytellers of all time and knew how to condense every interesting detail into understandable bits. He was that way with stories from the field and just as much so when he discussed feminist literature. 

When he'd finished a piece of his rant, the young girl spoke without thinking much about what she was saying. "I want to read it."

"You should! It'll totally change your life." Jason wholeheartedly agreed. "You can borrow my copy if ya want."

Cass's look of wonderment faded and she was brought back to reality. "Um, no thanks. I don't know if I have time. Can you tell me more, though?"

"Sure, but the book is so much better." He shrugged. He clearly didn't notice her complete change in tone, but Bruce watched as she continued to listen to the boy's synopsis, distracted this time.

He'd noticed again when a ransom letter was found over a girl kidnapped by Mad-Hatter. The police on the scene demanded she read it for everyone to hear and be more aware, but Cass's head lowered and she dropped the note and vanished from the scene without uttering a single word. By the time Bruce got back from patrol, she was already locked away in her room.

He knocked on her door. "Cass?"

"I'm asleep." 

"Obviously that's not true."

"I want to be asleep."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I'm just tired. We need to save that girl."

"Okay."

He'd left it at that, for the meantime, because it was incredibly late and they did need to rescue that girl from Mad-Hatter as soon as possible.

The breaking point for him was when he found her walking around the study alone, looking around with pure curiosity in her eyes. Tears were there too and he could see the longing. He knew Cass was smart. She didn't know a word of English when he first met her and she adapted incredibly well in no time. He didn't need her to be a book-smart genius to be efficient on the team or to him. She was special and he knew it. However, it seemed she didn't see it that way.

"How many are there?" She whispered and he realized he'd been standing in the open.

"I'm not sure. Jason counted once. Thousands, probably."

"Do you ever get more?"

"Jason, Dick and even Barbara have added their own bits to the collection. I didn't own  _Harry Potter_ before Dick moved in."

"Like the movies?"

"Yeah." Bruce smirked. "They're actually not bad. Don't tell Barbara I said that."

She didn't even flicker a smile. She just seemed sad. 

"Oh."

Maybe Bruce didn't require her to have much formal education, but this was getting in the way of her happiness and he knew he had to do something about that.

He thought about getting her a tutor, maybe someone unassuming like Barbara, who already knew Cass and her situation. He feared that would embarrass the girl though. She seemed pretty hesitant to express her distress on the matter. 

Instead, Bruce tried to be more subtle. He gathered basic-level reading books along with his own audio recordings of sounding out the various syllables and breaking down the words to make it more comprehensible. He started with Dr. Seuss and then gradually increased the difficulty of the books with each level he made. He didn't do audio recordings for the later books, but instead provided cheat sheets of vocabulary words that she might struggle with, especially if they were used figuratively. By the end of the week of gathering his supplies and creating his recordings, he'd assembled a reading list of about 100 books for Cass to eventually tackle.

When she was out, he placed the first few, along with the audio recordings on her bed. He didn't say anything about it to her later, but instead waited until it was well after she should have been sleeping. Sure enough, he could hear the soft sounds of the recordings on the other side of her door. He smiled when he heard the muffled whispers of her attempts to do as he instructed and read aloud. 

Whenever she read a book, she read it cover to cover 3 times, no matter the length. Bruce knew it was because she was both practicing and fascinated by the prospect of her reading. Without ever discussing it, she would leave the books she finished in front of his bedroom door and he would know to replace them again that night with other books and guides. 

He never said anything about it to anyone else, even Alfred, although he assumed the old man already knew. He knew everything that went on in that household and wasn't one to have loose lips about it either. From what he could tell, Cass never said anything either. However, she really didn't need to. Day by day she became more confident, standing up straight and offering to read the news headlines that would flash on the computers. No one unknowing thought anything of it, but Bruce bit back a smile every time she read aloud. 

It took her about 8 months to get through all of the books. Despite the increase in length and difficulty, she only got faster. He ended up having to replace some of the books nightly and this was of course after she read them 3 times.

The final book was appropriately  _Jane Eyre_ and he knew he'd done well by her when they were all suiting up the day after she finished it. Confidently and proudly, she walked up to Jason with a big grin on her face. 

"You were  _so_ right about  _Jane Eyre_."


	9. Sparring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Babs settle a tie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heavy Dickbabs. First NSFW piece of this collection (also it's hella long), but enjoy (:

_7 years earlier…_

 

 _“Argh!” Robin’s body reverberated against the sidewalk as he fell with a total thud thanks to the blunt force of another human body. His vision was blurred from the shroud of smoke that lingered outside of the burning building. Screams and gunshots filled the air along with an unmistakable cackle of the infamous Joker, growing further and further in the distance. He knew well enough that the second revved engine that sped away was none other than Batman’s._

_He contemplated remaining on the ground, but snapped out of his daze when he remembered that he’d been pushed outside of a burning building and was presently being pinned down. Robin wriggled and attempted to free his wrists from the strong grip that bound him to no avail. He flung his head forward in an attempt to headbutt his attacker, but was shut down by a gloved hand that shoved his head back against the ground. He took the second his left wrist was freed to shove a punch onto his attacker, knocking them back for a moment and rolling them over._

_“Nice try there… Wh-Who are you?” He coughed and stared at the figure below him. He still couldn’t make out who she was, but she certainly wasn’t any of Joker’s goons._

_She took advantage of his shock and thrust a knee where it hurt and rolled them into their original positioning._

_“Would you sit the hell still?” She glowered. “I just saved your butt.”_

_The smoke cleared as his attacker hovered above him and Robin couldn’t find it in him to continue putting up a fight. The black cowl that covered the rest of the upper half of her face couldn’t mask the glare from bright green eyes._

_He didn’t know whether to blame the shock from the fall, an overabundance of carbon dioxide, or a new reason foreign to him, but nothing hurt anymore and any sense of urgency melted away._

_She didn’t have the same viewpoint as he did. She was clearly yelling at him, but not much of it registered. He picked up on words she used frequently such as “impossible”, “reckless”, and “dumbass”._

_Her hair was as fiery as the frustration in her eyes and the words that passionately escaped her mouth. It billowed sporadically behind her in long and messy tendrils, bright and stark in contrast to the deep Gotham sky. Sweat mixed with soot on her face and the blood under her nose, presumably from the punch he regrettably swung earlier. It was clear her small and slightly upward nose wasn’t broken, but bruised. Blood circled her perfect rosebud lips that for a phenomenon new to Robin, was all he could focus on in the present moment._

_He’d met plenty of girls at his school. In fact, one of the reasons he convinced Batman to let him go to public school was his budding curiosity of the opposite sex. None of them looked like her though. She was the kind of girl that rolled with the punches and amongst the dogs. She couldn’t care less about looking perfect or making a good impression. She was tough, but there was something soft about her beneath the exterior, something he couldn’t quite explain even if he wanted to._

_She was an enigma to him._

_His eyes flashed back up to her now confused green eyes when she shook him slightly. It was clear he’d been silent for too long to be socially acceptable._

_“Hey, are you okay?”_

_He swallowed what felt like a rock in his throat and took in her entire demeanor again; dirt, grime, blood and sweat and all. He winced as he slowly moved to sit up. She let him, but didn’t climb off him immediately. She eyed him cautiously as if she waited for him to strike._

_When Robin reached out his hand, she flinched for a moment, which was fair given the punch earlier, but relaxed when all he did was gently use his gloved thumb to wipe the blood from beneath her nose._

_“So, uh, you must be Batgirl.” He stumbled and willed his hand not to shake too much._

_“In the flesh.” She retorted, though any overwhelming anger had dissipated and now she just stared back at him calculatedly, like she was already formulating her next twenty steps and maybe even his._

_“Hi, I’m Robin.”_

_He was Robin and she was Batgirl._

_And she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen._

 

Present Day

 

“Shit!” Dick grunted as Babs exploited a weak opening in his submission hold on her arm by wriggling her other arm free and flipping him over her, forcing the entire weight of his body to hit the wrestling mat on full impact. She was quick to throw her entire body weight onto him, successfully burying him deeper into the mat and pinning him down.

“That’s 3-3, Boy Wonder.” She smirked from above him. Her chest expanded and contracted in a rhythm that matched his. Sweat glistened over her body and caused her navy blue t-shirt to cling to her skin. He was sure he probably looked worse for wear.

“That’s _former_ Boy Wonder to you, missy.”

A breathy little laugh escaped to Dick’s delight. “Wow, he hangs up the short-shorts and suddenly he’s a man now.”

When Dick suggested they hang out to make up for his being away for so long ~~and almost marrying a completely different woman~~ , he originally had a lighter afternoon in mind. He was thinking hanging out on the couch or in his room watching a stupid movie while stuffing their faces with tooth-rotting garbage. However, the competitive side of Babs crept out when he opened his big fat mouth and teased the idea that he could out-spar her thanks to all the training he’d done with the Titans.

 _“God, I’m stupid.”_ He thought.

Then again, he really did appreciate training with someone that was considerably an equal match for him. He outmatched her in acrobatics and brute strength, though not by as much as most, but her calculative strategizing and speed made her threatening. Rarely were the other Titans able to beat him in hand-to-hand combat, but when it came to Babs, it was always a close fight.

“Remind me again why you didn’t join the Titans with me?” He offered a weak smile up at her. “We could have used you.”

“Somebody had to stick around Gotham and make sure Bruce didn’t completely scar the newbies.” Her green eyes shined in approval despite her somewhat dismissive response.

“You guys did do a great job.”

“You’ve helped.”

“But Timmy is so smart and I sure as hell couldn’t have taught him to use that knowledge appropriately.”

“You’re selling yourself short there, Grayson. Speaking of, where is the rest of the Bat-pack?”

“Bruce is at some gala in Vienna to close a deal for Wayne Enterprises, Alfred went with him, Timmy is in the finals for the regional spelling bee, and Ace is at the vet.” 

“See what you’ve missed while you were gone? So exciting.”

“I did miss you, though.” She added after she fully retrieved her breath. “It’s pretty shameful to be wrestling a bunch of kids, even if they’ll totally outmatch me sooner than later.”

“I missed you too, Babs.” Only Dick didn’t add any rhyme or reason, because when it came to Barbara Gordon there never had to be either for him. He’d learned a lot during his time away and while he still had a long way to go, he realized how important it was to have a constant in his life. None of the superhero persona meant anything if he didn’t have the feeling of coming home. He cherished his time with the Titans and learned how to be a leader, lover, and man over the past couple of years, but it wasn’t home. It wasn’t meant to be permanent.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Her gaze was soft and affectionate as if she was completely content staring at him from this position for all of eternity. She knew she was comfortable with this, because with messy jet-black hair and blue eyes along with a myriad of other perfect physical attributes, there was no denying that. However, she’d seen him stuffing his face with pork-rinds, doubled over in pain and heartbreak over _Love Actually_ , and hurling after he ate way too many pork-rinds. And yet…

 _He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen_.

In an attempt to reclaim an ounce of power, Dick sat up and inadvertently moved them into a position where she was sitting in his lap with her legs on either side of his hips. He internally admonished himself for placing himself into a position of potential embarrassment ( _hello,_ basketball shorts).

“What’s your strategy here, Nightwing?”

His heart pounded in his chest and the daring look in her eyes gave him the suspicion that she could hear it.

“That’s easy, Batgirl.” His voice was dangerously low and she’d be lying if it didn’t send a chill down her spine. 

The intensity in the air lingered until he rolled forward, frantically running his fingers up and down her sides and inducing echoic laughter through the entirety of the Batcave. She weakly smacked his shoulders profusely and twitched to the harsh vibrations of his incessant tickling. 

“This. Is. Not. Sparring.” She struggled for air through her fits of laughter. 

“Maybe you just need to take up a different strategy.” He mumbled in her ear. His soft breath alone made her jolt her head to protect her neck, but it only gave him a new attacking point. In a rather daring move, he burrowed his face in her neck and began rubbing his nose against the crook of her neck. Of course, this somehow blended into messy kisses along its surface, an act that both caused Babs to gasp and react as if she was being tickled. The speed at which he poked her sides melted into nothing as he simply rested his hands on either side of her.

“Dick.” Her breathing was heavy as it had been minutes ago when they’d finished their 6th round of sparring. 

He removed his face from her neck and they stared at each other in close contact for a moment. She looked like she had a serious stream of words she wanted to say, as she did when he left Gotham years ago, as she did when he told her he was going to marry Kori, as she did when he first returned. 

For a moment, she opted for the lighter route, as both of them so frequently reverted back to. 

“Why do you have a Bat-a-rang out?”

“Wh-what?”

He could feel his face turning a brighter red than her hair or any Robin costume that’s ever seen the light of day. He swallowed what felt like a box of rocks and willed his brain to think of the Penguin in a G-string to coax himself down from his current status. Before he could settle on such a disturbing image, she surprisingly took his face in her hands. The moment she did, an uncommon window of vulnerability shined through.

“I mean… You lost your virginity to a figurative sex-goddess and literal princess. How exactly is it that you want me like _that_ in general, let alone right now with the BO-stained wrestling mats as a romantic backdrop?” 

A slow smile gave way on Dick Grayson’s face. It was the beautiful kind too, not that he was capable of an ugly smile, but this one was especially stunning. It was the smile that belonged to her, in a way. It was natural, unabashed, and shamelessly goopy.

“Babs--”

“Please don’t take that as me crying out for affirmation that I’m prettier than all the other girls you’ve ever known, because I don’t _need_ to be prettier or stronger or smarter or whatever. I mean, I’m probably smarter, but I’ve never really spoken to Starfire so I can’t accurately say--”

“--Babs.”

“Dick, it just doesn’t make much sense, logistically speaking. You can’t go from otherworldly rendezvous to a sweaty romp on a floor that smells like gym socks and leather suits and be satisfied with that transition.”

“Hey.” He cut in quietly and this time she listened. “I just want you to know that you… Are giving a lot of credit to the biology of a male right now.”

He laughed outwardly as her face turned red in a combination of anger and embarrassment, but continued before she could rebut and probably (definitely) kick his ass.

“Seriously--” He wanted to go on a lengthy rant about why what she was proposing was galaxies beyond ridiculous, but knew he couldn’t bring himself to accurately describe in fine and deserving detail why he thought that. Instead, he tilted his head in adoration.

“It goes every other girl _ever_.” He held his hand slightly above his head. 

“And you.” He stretched as high as he could to illustrate his point. “You’re my dream girl, but more importantly, you’re the realest person in my life. I don’t know how else to explain it.” 

After a few seconds to let what he said wash over her and ease any fears that previously tainted her mind, she quickly launched herself off her back and pushed Dick back into a sitting position. She crawled into his lap and began kissing him fervently, much to his initial surprise. For as much as he lost himself in the scent of her shampoo and the sensation of her glistened skin against his, he pulled back in confusion.

“Are you sure--?” 

“You can’t say things like that and expect not to be kissed, Dick Grayson.” She affirmed this life lesson by resuming what she’d started and knotted her hands into his thick and messy hair, bringing them closer together. He was able to participate more actively in this kiss. They could feel the other’s hearts beating at a like rhythm to their own, given there wasn’t an inch of space between them. Her hands moved to his torso, desperately inching up his black t-shirt, trying to get a feel on more skin. She lingered at his muscles, partially on a pride standpoint (because he’d really grown since she’d first known him) and of course on a totally animalistic level as well. The thin barrier of cotton was happily shed and tossed in a direction unbeknownst to either of them.

She leaned forward and kissed up from his abdomen to his chest, the last bit letting her tongue drag lightly against his skin, and to her pleasure, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

He buried his face into the junction between her collar and her neck, eliciting a sharp intake of breath as he nipped and kissed up the column of her neck again. This time, rougher and heavier as his hands trailed up and down her sides, dangerously close to tickling her again but not quite. Her entire body felt too much like it was on fire for her to feel like she was being tickled. She rocked her hips against his and smirked against his mouth when a guttural moan escaped his throat.

His eyes widened in desire when she flipped her own shirt off with ease and carelessness. He’d seen her in a sports bra before, but he felt lightheaded as she took his hands and brought them to her chest. He toyed with the fabric a bit and allowed the palms of his hands to marvel in her shape. Then, he slipped his fingers under and slid it off in another quick moment. 

He must have been staring a little bit, because she bit her lip nervously. When he realized she was interpreting his gaze differently, he flashed his eyes back up to hers and ran whole mouth over her left mound as his right hand took the time to appreciate the right one. She writhed as his tongue swirled against her skin and dug her nails into the muscles of his back. 

As if they were still competing, Barbara took his face from her chest and lifted it to meet her mouth in a fiery kiss where tongues twisted in a way she discovered he _really_ liked. He moaned as she worked his mouth the way one would tie a cherry stem with their tongue. All the while, one of her hands slipped between them and under the waistband of his basketball shorts. Through his boxer-briefs she could feel him hard and screaming to be freed from the confines of space and pressure currently in place.

There was something wildly exciting about having sex for the first time with someone you’d known all your life. On one hand, he trusted Barbara with every fiber of his being and they knew each other better than almost anyone. On the other hand, this was completely new territory for the two of them. They fooled around before, but had never crossed the line completely. They were discovering each other all over again, teasing and trying to figure out and mark what they responded to. 

Dick, for instance, was responded _heavily_ to the fact that the girl of his dreams was currently running her hand up and down the length of his member, as if she were taking inventory. A slow smile came to her face against his mouth at his reaction to her movements. He hissed against her bottom lip and almost dropped his head to her shoulder in surrender when she cupped him completely. He couldn’t take the confined space and with her assistance, slid both his shorts and underwear off in one motion. 

She grinned in a way that both excited and scared him for this particular moment, but didn’t have much time to ponder how she was about to torture him, because she was already taking him in her grasp. In a painfully slow fashion, she massaged up and down his entire length. He twitched against her and let his head roll back for a second and allowed himself to focus on her attentiveness. She focused on the tip the longest, running her thumb across its surface, which made him moan without a care.

The speed of her motions increased and when Dick could feel all the heat draining from his head to his core and a potential loss of control altogether, he abruptly sat up and rolled them over so he was on top of her.

Like in sparring practice, Dick wasn’t one to give up. He was a performer at heart and refused to disappoint. In fact, he lived to please, which was actually a point of contention when Dick left years ago. Barbara was worried he was too busy trying to please everyone else that he wasn’t taking the time to be who he needed to be. She ended up being right, of course, but something told him she wouldn’t mind his innate desire to please in this particular circumstance. The hand that had innocently rested on her waist before toyed into the waistband of her shorts. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades in response and practically mewled when he found her heat.

He watched her as her face twisted in between irritation and want, both producing a bright red hue to her cheeks and chest. He felt his way around her like he was trying out new equipment, taking his time and feeling things out to see what worked and what _really_ worked. He laid her down against the cool mat and slanted his mouth over hers while he delved two fingers into her. His tongue stroking against hers muffled the noise in the back of her throat, but he could feel her gasp against him.

His thumb stroked her with no abandon or set rhythm. In fact, it felt more like bursts of swirled movement that etched her closer to the light. It was insane how she never felt grosser and better before in her life. She chased a specific high that she’d been subconsciously waiting for a lot longer than she’d care to admit. While she was slightly disappointed that Grayson wasn’t letting her get him off first (probably because he was still sour about her winning the last sparring match), she couldn’t be too upset as the man was currently working her like it was his job.

Her eyes snapped open as his movements stopped altogether and her ears were ringing she was so mad about it. She opened her mouth to say something, but his fingers looped into her shorts and underwear and dragged them down her legs and off completely.

His eyes locked with hers and he had this smug smile that she knew too well, but was foreign to her in this particular set of circumstances. Typically, this meant that Dick was going to do something mischievous in a way to showboat or be victorious. It turns out, that applied properly here as well, because the former boy wonder crawled on top of her and kissed her lips. First, it was almost chaste and while she was okay with that, her blood pressure rose as he began to descend, kissing her jaw, neck chest, stomach, hip bones and lingering on her thighs.

She swallowed heavily as he sucked on the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs. It was like he was taking every second to appreciate the fact that this was happening, as if he were afraid it would never happen again. She made a note to herself that she should assure him otherwise later, because no way in hell was this going to be a one and done occurrence.

His nose bumped against her heat and a primal noise escape her throat without her consent. When his tongue first made contact with her clit, another noise squeaked from her diaphragm, but at this particular second, she really didn’t care. He lapped her up and used a finger to delve inside her again, arching her back at the twist. His lips honed in on her clit and sucked on it while punctuating his tongue in rhythm to his finger movements.

She let go of any previous cares of who got who off first and rocked her hips against his face, tilting her head back as she reached her peak and fell over the edge entirely. A slew of profanity along with Dick’s name tumbled out of her mouth as the wave of pleasure overcame all of her senses. He held her legs firmly to prevent them from spasming and rode out her orgasm with his tongue. 

With hardly any hesitance or breath taking at all, Dick once again crawled over top of her, his boner bumping against her leg and twitching at the contact. She welcomed him eagerly, immediately lacing her fingers through his hair and bringing their mouths together passionately. She reached between them and carefully guided him to her soaked entrance. He moaned at the contact and began sucking on her neck again. Her hand never left him and they both reacted promptly as she rubbed his tip against her clit.

“Fuck, Babs.” He hissed, but when he looked up he almost burst at the look of want in her eyes. 

Carefully, as if he was afraid to break her in half, Dick slid into her smooth walls, mentally noting the gasp she took as he filled her completely. Once entirely inside her, he slid back and thrust forward in a synchrony that felt perfect for them. She met him where he left off and so forth.

As breathing grew heavier and the sweat between them could form pools, Dick felt all the pressure and blood leave his head once the walls that encased him vibrated and Barbara’s sharp cry of his name wrung through his ears. He released everything he’d built up and fell into her with a shout and a wave of pleasure that made the room go hazy.

They stayed in that position for a moment, staring and breathing heavily at each other, smug smiles on both of their faces. 

“Man, we are so going to have to wipe that footage.” She laughed and he joined in, feeling the best he had ever felt.

“We should also probably not think about how gross these mats are.” He added.

She wrinkled her nose, but didn’t show any signs of moving. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him chastely, lingering a bit before separating. 

“I guess you win sparring for the day. _This_ time.”


	10. The Birds and the Bats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selina brings up a fair point which inadvertently makes Bruce question his parenting. So what does Bruce do? Rights the wrong, immediately to all his children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka in which Bruce is ignorant to the fact that the Batkids are little hornballs. All the Batkids, their respective relationships, and Bruce's relationship to them. 
> 
> Slightly explicit at the end of this chapter, but nothing too bad.

There were few things that could ruin the throws of passion for Bruce. Alfred walking in, a terrorist attack, and the mention of his kids would all turn him off instantly. The first, because it was obvious that the man raised him. The second, because he'd have to go be Batman. The third, because why the hell was his lover talking about his kids?

To be fair, Selina wasn't trying to start up a conversation about the PTA or school lunches while Bruce did unspeakable things to her. No, it was meant to be seductive and he supposed he could see from a certain point of view how it could be received that way, but it turned the tap completely off for him. 

"What?" She wrinkled her brow.

"Wh-Why did you say that?"

"Say what?"

"What you said... While we were doing what we're doing?"

"All I said was that I hope for the sake of the female population that your boys take after you."

"Yeah, but... They're my kids."

She looked down and noticed he was most certainly down for the count and groaned in annoyance as she threw herself back against the pillows. "A month ago, my senile upstairs tenant wandered in here in nothing but her granny panties and started peeing. You got up, helped her upstairs and changed her clothes, and then still came down here to plow me from behind. One  _compliment_ and you're out of ammo? Really, Bruce?"

"I'm sorry I don't like to equate sex and my children."

"Well, one of them came about from  _you_ having  _sex_. God, if you're this squeamish about an offhanded comment, I can't imagine what it was like when you gave the talk."

"What?"

"The talk. You know, the birds and the bees? When a man loves a woman..."

"I never talked to them about it."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Should I have?"

"Do you really want Grand-Batkids right now? And what about the girls? I lost my virginity when I was 14."

A flash of horror crossed Bruce's face before he shot to his feet. "I've got to talk to them."

 

* * *

 

_Damian_

"Father, you're home early. How's the feline?"

Bruce sighed and sat on his only biological child's bed. He was reading a large book with binding as old as the League of Assassins and based on the arabic writing, Bruce could assume it was ancient. He hadn't even spoken a word yet and he could feel his chest tightening. He had to say something soon, because his youngest was perhaps the most perceptive 11 year old that ever graced the planet and he'd never hear the end of it for appearing afraid to talk to him.

"She's good, Damian. I think it's time that you and I have a special talk."

Damian closed his book and rested it beside him. "Finally."

"Finally?"

"Yes, Father, I think it's high time you found me a mate."

"W-What?" Bruce was never fond of a lot of verbiage, but verbal speech was killing him tonight. He cleared his throat and tried to find some levity. "What are you talking about? You're 11."

"It's custom in the league that we are assigned our arranged marriages during the onset of puberty so that we can get to know each other before we consummate the relationship."

"And when is that typically?"

"For girls anywhere from 12-14 and for boys it's anywhere from 13-15."

"Oh my God." Bruce pinched the top of his nose in an ill attempt to prevent his migraine from growing. "That is  _so_ not happening here, Damian."

"But father, there are many girls who aren't total imbeciles at my school who could potentially procreate with me. I mean, none of them are anything special, but I made a list of the ones with potentially strong features, particularly birthing hips. We could have meetings--"

"--Look, if we aren't doing the killing thing, then we certainly aren't doing a middle school brothel. How the hell do you even know about sex and all that?"

"We learn about this ritual when we're 5. What do you think I am? A complete moron?"

"You are not having sex until you reach the age of consent and when you do, you will use a condom and you will  _not_ get this girl pregnant. It  _will_ be 100% consensual on both your behalves. You will be mindful of the other person and ensure you both get something out of the exchange!" Bruce yelled.

Damian paused. "So you're suggesting I have intercourse for... Fun?"

"Not for fun." Bruce sighed in defeat. "If another less-impactful activity is available... Please." 

"That's what you do with the Cat."

"Yes, but we use protection and it's something we both want. Plus, we are grown adults who can make mindful and thoughtful decisions about the matter." 

"So I won't be getting a mate to pass on the family title."

"Not unless you fall in love with an actual person who also falls in love with you at an appropriate time in your life."

The young boy gagged. "God, Father. You're going to make me sick."

"Now I'm assuming you... Know how everything works, right? Did the League teach you that."

"It's simple anatomy."

"So you'll wait."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "There's no point if I'm not going to receive an offspring right away."

Bruce smiled. "Good."

"I suppose I don't need to continue assuring my potency then."

"Did you get a sperm count?" Bruce laughed at the idea of his youngest sitting in a sperm bank, waiting to be tested amongst the poster-men for viagra. 

He snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I've been receiving blowjobs and handjobs from various girls for the past week and a half to promise my stamina."

Bruce swore he choked on his own tongue. Okay, there was still more talking to be done, then.

* * *

 

_Tim_

Tim's head was racing with more than just deduction and reasoning for missions. No, his mind was on something else altogether. It disgusted him in a way. He always considered himself the rational one amongst the bloodthirsty Damian, pigheaded Jason, and Dick the dreamer. He was supposed to be sensible and grounded. Usually, he was. 

"Hey, Tim, can I talk to you for a sec?" Bruce knocked on the boy's door and Tim let him in. He still felt a flutter of nerves as he walked through the room, but the news of Damian's near-complete loss of remaining innocence was probably the worst that could be dropped on him tonight.

 _At least I got to him before he could get a middle schooler pregnant._  

Then again, the sheer idea that these young girls were willing to dole out blowjobs at the ripe age of 11 scared Bruce senseless for his conversations that he was going to have to have with the girls. He shook his head. That was a thought for a later time that evening and now he had to give himself a break from emotional trauma. Tim was both socially and book smart. He probably knew about sex anatomically, but was too wrapped into his new membership of Young Justice to give sex and girls much time. God, he now understood the importance of extracurriculars.

Still, Tim looked pale and uneasy and Bruce knew he wasn't very smooth when it came to communicating with girls he had crushes on. He wasn't aware of the extent of these crushes other than that they were harmless. Tim's greatest birth control, as mean as it sounded, was himself. He was a cute-looking kid, but he got so awkward around girls that it didn't seem possible that any of them would be particularly interested right now. Later, they'd be into the shy types as they always were. Usually, this came after a bad boy phase. Even if Tim did get a girlfriend, he wasn't the kind of guy to suggest sex. He just wasn't. 

"You're 15." Bruce nodded in front of the teenager.

"Yes?"

"And I trust your decisions."

"I'm glad, Bruce."

"But there's something we need to talk about. Sometimes it's famously referred to as "the talk" actually."

If it were possible, more color flooded from Tim's face. "Oh God, is it really getting around that fast?"

Bruce didn't have time to respond before Tim was pacing back and forth so fast that he gave the Flash a run for his money. Words were spiraling out of his mouth in a succession just as fast and he was drawing up a mental plan of some kind. "So I move out of the state, the country actually, and then I change my name... Maybe even I could get some of whatever allows Clayface to transform so accurately into other people. Then, I could just assume the life of anyone except Tim Drake. God, anyone would do except Tim Drake. I'll live on a mountainside, because no one ever disturbs people at that high of an altitude unless they're on an incredible journey. When that happens, I'll take a sidekick and they have to be male, because I'll be leading a celibate life from now on--"

"Wait." Bruce grabbed Tim's shoulder and spun him to face him. "From now on."

Tim still seemed lost in his own train of thought at first, but then his eyes bugged open. "You d-didn't know?"

"If it's that you're having sex, then I do now."

Bruce expected him to deny it or add "murder Bruce" to his growing gameplan of tremendous exaggeration, but instead, the boy started to cry. The only thing worse than finding out your kid was having sex was his crying over it. Despite the discomfort in the room, Bruce awkwardly pulled Tim into a hug and patted his head until he calmed down a bit.

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Tim shook his head.

"And I don't really want to hear about it, but I have to."

"So... You know Cassie?"

Bruce's eyes went wide and fire filled his cheeks as he grabbed Tim and lifted him up. "YOU FORNICATED WITH CASSANDRA?"

Tim shook his head so hard he swore it could have fell off. "NO! Cassie as in Wonder Girl! God, no, she's my sister!"

The tension in his arms loosened and he lowered the boy to the ground with ease. "Oh... Well, proceed."

"You're not exactly making this a very comforting open-ended discussion."

"Proceed." Bruce enunciated without apology.

"Well, we've been sort of dating lately and we were going pretty hot and heavy at the Watchtower."

_Note to self: sex-proof this Watchtower_

"Okay..." He wanted to gag.

"And so we start...  _You know_..."

"And you used protection." Bruce affirmed.

"What? Yes, of course! I'm not stupid, Bruce." His shakiness stalled for a second. "But I was excited... Maybe a little  _too_ excited?"

He still wasn't getting what he was saying and Tim clenched his fists in frustration. "Ugh, I finished WAY too early. I was only making legit contact for like... 4 seconds."

"Oh." Bruce's mouth made a perfect "o" before he nodded awkwardly. "Well, that happens. Uh... What did you do after that?"

"I ran."

"You ran?"

"Bruce, I ran home half naked. I've never run so fast in my entire life. I didn't even get the chance to take the condom off I got out of there so fast."

"You called her, right?"

"HOW DO YOU CALL SOMEONE WHEN YOU LITERALLY CUM AND RUN?"

"Well, it's either that or discuss it next time at work."

"I'm never going to have sex again, am I?"

"You will." Bruce nodded uncomfortably. He really hated this. "If you want some advice on how to prolong the experience, I suggest thinking about things that gross you out a little bit like feet or slime."

"I kind of like feet."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. Anyway, if you can't handle this like a mature individual, than you aren't ready to be having relations, Tim. You're 15 and I know your body is going crazy with hormones and confusing desires--"

"--Is that about the foot comment? Please don't tell the others."

"Please stop talking about it!"

* * *

 

_Jason_

He'd spent quite a bit of time looking for the second oldest boy, but wasn't surprised when he realized he was just passed out next to Ace in the Batcave. Ace looked extremely displeased that he was currently being forced to share his doggie bed with Jason, but the 17 year old seemed unmovable. Bruce nudged him with a light kick.

His eyes opened and when he saw Bruce standing over him, he made a move to roll over, only to be blocked by the fed up dog.

"Get up. We need to talk."

"Are you breaking up with me, Brucie?"

"No! Just... C'mon, it's important." Jason had an affinity for making regular conversations painful and explicit, but Bruce always wrote that off as an immaturity that plagued the young man. Really, most people that speak the way that he does were the most inexperienced sexually. Besides, if he was being completely honest about his exploits, he seriously needed to be set straight. Apparently, he did anal before anything else.

"You're telling me you love me?" He rose to his feet though.

"Jason, take these." Bruce handed him a box and he reluctantly took it from him.

"... Okay, I was kidding about the "love" thing." Jason cringed as he dropped the box of condoms on the floor.

"They're for you, you idiot, whenever you decide to have intercourse."

Jason squinted at him for a moment before busting into laughter. "Bruce, I've had sex."

"You've talked about having sex."

"Then why wouldn't you think I've had sex?"

"Because you're all talk, Jason. You died, when the hell did you find time for sex education?"

"One word: hookers."

"Jason..."

"Really, Bruce. Holly taught me where it goes, Kyle taught me where  _else_ it can go, Denise showed me how to use my tongue--"

"--That's enough. Did any of these "experts" teach you how to wrap it up?"

"What? Those things? I don't use those."

"JASON!"

"BRUCE?"

"USE A DAMN CONDOM!"

"Nah."

"Don't you "nah" me, young man!"

"That phrase doesn't work for you, man. And I don't want to, so I won't. I would have said the same thing to you with Talia. Now we have that demon brat chilling about."

"Do you want one too? Or AIDS?"

"Man, I had a vasectomy ages ago."

"YOU'RE 17!"

"I know. I would have gotten it done a lot sooner had it not been for the whole "dying" thing."

Bruce massaged his temples. He stress headache was killing him. "You still don't want an STD."

"I'm always at the clinic, checking up, making sure the junk is solid."

"JUST WEAR A CONDOM."

"Nah, they feel weird. I only like them when I'm playing sub."

Bruce smiled out of nowhere. "No condoms, no sex."

"What are you going to do, follow me everywhere?"

"I'll have someone watching you at all times. And I do mean _all_ times."

Jason opened his mouth to defy him with a smart remark, but then pictured the entire Justice League scouting him down while he tried to have sex. With the connections Bruce had, he very well could never have sex again.

"Fine." He muttered and snagged the box off the floor. "I'll use a fucking condom."

* * *

_Cass_

He really dreaded speaking to the girls. This was an entirely different conversation for them. It was all about self-confidence and being able to differentiate when a boy really likes them for them and all that feelings-based stuff. With the boys, Bruce just didn't want them having sex at all, because he knew what it was like to be a teenage boy and to be in that headspace. They should really just abstain. Girls, on the other hand, were just as much sexual beings as boys were, but there was a delicate balance in their perception by the outside world, as cruel as it may be. Boys were paraded for losing their virginities while girls were told about the grave mistake they made in having sex. Bruce wasn't about to encourage any of his kids to do the horizontal tango and certainly didn't want any visuals of it, but he also didn't want them to be judged for it.

"Hey, Cass."

"Hello." She was enthralled in a deep read on her bed. "Sex talk?"

"How'd you know?" He stammered.

"Group chat." She pointed to her phone and shrugged. "I had sex."

Bruce tilted his head back. "Okay... Um, are you using any birth control--"

"No."

"Well, Cass, you're just 18. We don't want you having any--"

"I had sex years ago." She frowned and shook her head. "It was not for me."

"Wait... When? With who?" He understood the boiling rage fathers felt on TV when their daughters had been touched by some slimy and unworthy boy. He felt a similar anger, but wouldn't release it or let it show, because he could recognize how unhealthy such behavior can be.

"My ex-boyfriend Chase."

"That was 2 years ago."

"I do not want to have sex anymore, so I won't."

"At all?"

"Not at all. It's not interesting to me."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Nope. Barbara tells me I'm called "Asexual" and that there isn't anything wrong with that."

Bruce's mouth hung open a bit. "Oh, so you don't feel sexual attraction."

"I feel attraction to good burgers and puppies, but that is not sexual."

"No." He smiled and nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're safe and that you're doing what you want to do."

"Me too."

"Hey, Cass. How did you learn about sex before?"

She shrugged. "I just mimicked what I saw on Animal Planet."

Bruce thought he was going to pass out. 

* * *

 

_Stephanie_

Admittedly, his conversation with Cass wasn't the worst, but that may be because she wasn't going to be having sex anytime soon, if not ever. Still, the Animal Planet fact was too much for him to bear. He really didn't want to know what animal she was mimicking, but none that he could picture gave him much peace of mind. He knew it was moot to hope that all the girls were asexual to make this night go a lot faster, but he still found himself clinging to some semblance of purity in his children, even though most of them were proving to be a lot more promiscuous than the World's Greatest Detective noticed.

She was eating ice cream at the kitchen table. It was well passed midnight and Bruce pondered for a moment why he chose to do all of this so late at night. Maybe he feared that if he let it go another second, they'd all engage in some super-orgy and they'd be lost to him forever. 

"Care to share?" He asked and she handed him a spoon without saying a word. 

After a few moments of silent eating, Bruce nudged her. "Long night?"

"Understatement." Was all she replied with.

"Penguin give you a tough time?"

She paused. "... Yeah. That's it."

"Is everything alright?"

"Mhmm."

"Alfred usually reserves this for when I get thrown into a moody mess over a loss that I blame myself for. I hope your trauma is worth it."

"You only ever joke when you're uncomfortable." She pointed out. "What's up?"

He nodded. "You have a boyfriend?"

She froze. "No."

"Did anyone growing up ever talk to you about boyfriends?"

"Just about how they're no good. I was always a rebel though."

"Okay." He sighed. "And you don't have to answer me, but for the next few moments, I'm going to say you've never had sex before, because there's something I need you to know, because you deserve the absolute best treatment and respect."

"Bruce..."

"Let me finish, Stephanie." He placed his spoon down and put his hand on her shoulders. "I know you come from a tough spot. We all do in this house, but especially you. What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you're going and you've got a good head on your shoulders so you're going to very good places. I don't want you to be weighed down by boys or by what boys want. It's about you and I respect the decisions you make with your life, but I think you should make your boyfriends... Meaningful and be safe about them. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Without even blinking or hesitating, Steph placed down her spoon and looked him dead in the eyes. "Bruce, I'm pregnant."

* * *

 

_Dick (and Babs)_

The two were currently completely roped around one another. As usual, it all started innocently enough with simple takeout after a stressful mission, but they both always seemed to know what this was. Dick could never remember if it was he or she that initiated it. The energy between the two of them was so combustable that it was difficult to say. Sometimes, she'd take her hair out of a ponytail and massage her head for a second and he was suddenly kissing her neck. Sometimes, he'd bite his lip and she was suddenly flipping his shirt off. Either way, no one else knew about their arrangement and it was better that way. Partially, because the secret added a hot element to the situation and also, because they didn't want things to change on the team. 

Honestly, the last thing Dick was thinking about at this particular moment was the team. All that inhabited his mind was the sound of his own thumping heart and every detail of her body and its contact with his. 

Barbara dug her nails into the creases on Dick's back, outlining his muscles which were currently flexed as he put all his weight on his arms, allowing him to hover over her. Both of their bodies were coated with a sheet of sweat, which admittedly eased the amount of friction their bodies experienced when rubbing against each other. She moaned as he increased the pace of his thrusts into her. She moved her own hips in response to meet his and produced a series of fluid movements that only heightened the euphoria they were trying to chase, the euphoria they'd given each other countless times.

Her toes curled as he moved to pay attention to the other side of her neck and rediscovered a spot they both audibly favored. Because of this repositioning, she was able to briefly glance the security computer she'd installed in Dick's apartment. Its main function was to calm her down that Dick was living alone in a shitty neighborhood, but it had also proven to be an excellent warning system to avoid them from getting caught by any teammates.

"Bruce." She heaved.

Dick pulled back immediately, offended and confused. "Babs, what the--"

"What? Oh God no, look!" She grabbed his face and turned him towards the camera. Approaching the complex was none other than Bruce Wayne. Of all the worst people in the world to walk in on them, Bruce was a top contender for the number one spot, perhaps tied with Jim Gordon. Yet, here they were, Dick still completely inside of her while her legs were still wrapped around his waist. It was a good picture.

"Shit!" He gasped and they pulled apart.

"Clothes!" She hurriedly yanked her t-shirt over her head as Dick hopped into the jeans he was wearing, a feat that his boner made incredibly difficult.

"You'd think little Dick would understand there's a situation here." She remarked as she successfully placed her own pants on and hastily tossed the condom into the trash and covered it with tissues and shuffled the trash. 

He flipped on the TV and grabbed the remnants of their Chinese food and set it on the coffee table. He now had a black t-shirt on, but had to make the fast switch to sweatpants instead, because jeans just weren't happening for him. 

"You really gotta stop calling it that." 

She opened her mouth to make a joke, but she closed it when the door knocked and she leapt onto the couch to appear as if she'd always been watching TV the whole night.

Before Dick grabbed the door, Barbara tossed him a pillow and directed to his groin, which was still prominently excited. He held it in front of him and answered the door before Bruce could knock again and get worried.

"Hey!" Bruce smiled and turned rather perplexed then smiled again when he saw her. "Barbara, great, you're here too! I tried to call you at your place, but--"

"We got back kind of late from a mission." She shrugged. "I didn't feel like making the trip to Gotham."

"Understood." He nodded. "As it seems, I do need to talk to you both so this works out."

"Okay..." Dick moved aside to let him in and made a face at Barbara when his back faced Bruce. "What's up?"

He sat between them on the couch. "Selina made it very clear to me that I never gave you guys any sort of talk growing up."

"You are quite quiet." Dick teased and Bruce noticed how flushed the two were. It was kind of warm in Dick's apartment, but they still looked beyond uneasy. Their hair was both unruly and looked like they'd just tumbled down a large hill. Dick tightly gripped a pillow to his lap as Barbara crossed her arms and looked anywhere  _but_ at Dick. He wondered briefly if they'd been arguing beforehand, because he could detect hints of heavy breathing in their words and an edge to their voice. He knew they'd been going through a huge loss on the Young Justice team with Wally West's passing and that things were stressful, but they needed to unwind.

 _I should make a note of checking in on what kind of crazy missions they've been going on lately_.

"Wait a second..." Barbara wrinkled her nose. "Oh my God! You aren't here to give us "the talk" are you?"

"I have to."

"Bruce, you do know I have a father right? This cringeworthy conversation happened 11 years ago for me."

Bruce's face flushed just as red as theirs. "I've been giving them all night, Barbara and God, I should have done it sooner. This has been the worst night of my life and I've died before. Damian's gotten several blowjobs AND handjobs, Tim had a truly mortifying and traumatizing first time with Wonder Girl, Jason's sterile and uses hookers, Cass is asexual, and Stephanie is pregnant. I don't think I can take another earth-shattering revelation."

"Wait a second, Stephanie is pregnant?" Barbara's eyes went wide. To be fair, that was the most pertinent to everyone's wellbeing. "Well, what did you say?"

"And we're totally coming back to the Damian thing too, by the way." Dick added.

"I said we'd be there for her and what not." Bruce shook his head. "Mostly, she just cried. I've had to deal with a lot of emotions and I do not like doing that."

"Are you really blaming yourself for not giving a proper talk?" Dick shook his head. "Jason died and came back to life sluttier than he died, Damian is the product of the League of Assassins, Timmy is awkward as all hell with girls because it's  _just the way he is_ , Cass is asexual which literally has nothing to do with anything but her own preferences, and Stephanie is pregnant because she's had zero example of what love and respect are in her household."

"If you can call it a household." Barbara sighed. "She's got to be so scared."

"If I'd been more vocal and comfortable with talking about things like this--"

"We would have been miserable! You're relationships are the opposite of anything we should strive to emulate." She said. "You took in a bunch of kids, because you have a big heart. Just because you forgot some stuff doesn't make you a bad parent. You taught your boys respect and your girls how to be respected. That's huge."

"Thanks, Barbara." He nodded and looked to Dick sadly. "I assume you, too, don't need to hear this talk. It's funny, I never actually really got to give the full speech, because everyone else already knew how it worked."

Dick paused and sighed. "Nope, actually, I'm a virgin."

"You are." Bruce blinked and Barbara tried to restrain herself from laughing.

"Yep." He needed a win for the night. "Ask Babs."

Bruce looked to Barbara who shook her head. "Oh, I'm not a virgin, but Dick  _totally_ is. He's saving himself for marriage."

"Really?"

"Really." He gritted and glared at her when Bruce wasn't looking.

"Oh okay, well when a man cares about a woman..." He began and as he went on his speech, Barbara took notice of her bra hanging from the ceiling fan that was slowly swinging in the wind. Dick was on the same wavelength as she was and knew he had to distract Bruce before he noticed too.

"So uh, how do orgasms work?" He interrupted and Bruce's split second of surprise was enough time for Barbara to toss a throw pillow at the article of clothing and knock it off onto the other side of the bed. 

He turned to a red-faced Barbara. "Uh, there was a fly."

"Um, well as I was saying, women have different erogenous zones than men and require moisture..." Bruce watched them squirm during his intentionally graphic speech. He appreciated the dive his son took for him to spare Bruce anymore shock and in return, he decided not to say anything about the obvious truth that the two of them were an item of some sort. It amazed him that either would assume he was shocked over that. He did know them since they were kids and mocking each other constantly. 

He still intentionally fell asleep on the couch to prevent them from continuing the deed though.

"Bruce Wayne, Worlds Greatest Cock Block." Dick mused and looked down.

Neither realized that someday, he would say that same exact phrase on their wedding night.


	11. Journeying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce knew he made a mistake picking Jason to DJ his wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruce x Selina/ Bruce-centric

Everyone one of the kids and Alfred pushed for Jason being the DJ at the wedding. Bruce knew this was a terrible idea and a completely unnecessary one. He had the funds to hire pretty much anyone he and Selina wanted for their big event. However, that was just it. Selina and her  _very_ convincing methods were everything to do with his acceptance of the fact that Jason Todd was going to be in control of the music at his wedding. He'd tried to sway his wife to be in the opposite direction, claiming Jason would just play a lot of that hard rock and metal that makes everyone go deaf, but the Cat wasn't having it. He knew his siblings likely were in on some kind of prank with the young man, especially Dick. However, when he pushed for Selina's reasoning, she'd simply kiss him and tell him she wanted to do something nice for Jay.

He found that very hard to believe.

"Can you at least  _try_ to put on my kind of music?" Bruce asked him.

"Sorry, Bruce, but I'm not sure if I have Halloween sound effects on my setlist."

In reality, the music concerns were more for the benefit of the other guests as opposed to him. He really only cared about the song that was used as a "first dance" between the couple. He hated dancing, but he knew Selina would secretly want it to be a romantic choice. Other than that, he was fine with Jason's pickings at the end. He didn't really feel like dealing with the complaints, but that was about it. He'd learned to tune out the nonsense he listened to years ago when the boy first started living with him. When it was his pick for a song in the car, Bruce was able to go to another world while everyone else scowled. In fact, Bruce had pretty much one rule regarding music. There was only one voice that truly dug under his skin and made him full-on cringe.

Still, he was able to forget about his fears about the music due to being rightfully caught up in the more important highlights of that beautiful spring day. The crowd of people was massive, as it usually was when a Justice League member gets married. It was even larger due to Selina's less incriminating accomplices (They were very particular with who they invited on that front). For all Bruce cared, it could have been just him and Selina on a private beach, a place where they could stay for their honeymoon. In fact, he was certain all he'd ever need was her. 

The ceremony was beautiful and meaningful. Clark was Bruce's best man whereas despite Bruce's initial reservations, Selina chose Pamela Isley as her main of honor. Dick, Jason and Tim were groomsmen and Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassandra were bridesmaids. Damian was forced into being the ring bearer (they had to convince him it was a symbol of power to get him to agree) while Roy Harper's little girl, Lian, acted as flower girl. They'd went the traditional route with vows, which was to both their preferences. He was sure they'd have enough to promise to each other for the rest of their lives. The very fact that they made it this far showed him they were going to be just fine. If the ending of the world and illegitimate League of Assassin children couldn't break them up, it was smooth sailing. Well, their definition of smooth sailing. 

It always amazed Bruce how well big gatherings with all of these other superheroes went. Everyone in attendance knew each other's secret identities, even the workers. It was liberating to be in an environment where everyone could relax and be open about their experiences. Of course, Bruce wasn't too keen to share details with people he hadn't worked with several times before, but he let others do their own thing. Everyone was different about how well they guarded their identities. They'd already had a reception in Gotham for the locals and for the sake of their aliases. The press flocked it and it was all basically one big photoshoot.

This was the real show, because he was really and finally married. He was married to the captivating woman next to him and nothing could make him feel wrong about that.

"Yo yo yoooooo looks like we're all here to have a good time tonight." Jason had already taken off his tuxedo jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Despite only being 20, Bruce was fairly certain he had a beer in the hand that wasn't gripping the mic. From the exuberance that radiated off the usually jaded former Robin, it was clear it certainly wasn't his first alcoholic beverage. A lot of people appeared pretty drunk already. The designated drivers consisted of heroes like the speedsters or Kyptonians, who physically could not get drunk. Bruce knew Jason would be using that service for sure.

"We are going to start off with one of Bruce's favorite bands."

"No." Bruce whispered and Selina eyed him carefully.

"Something wrong?"

"He personally requested it earlier." Jason winked at Bruce, who was starting to stand up from his seat. 

"Bruce..." Selina furrowed her brow. "What's wrong?"

Sure enough, the most annoying song by the most annoying band came blaring through the speakers. Of course, Bruce couldn't get across the now fully formed crowd to get to Jason, so he just slowly sat back down at the front table next to his new wife, fists clenched and jaw that was following suit.

_"Strangers, waiting,_

_up and down the boulevard._

_Their shadows,_

_searching in the night."_

"I hate Journey." He grumbled.

The worry on his wife's face evaporated and she began laughing wholeheartedly. He would have normally been able to enjoy such a sound, but Jason turned the volume up so he could barely hear his own inner monologue let along anyone near him.

"I'm gonna kill him!" He shook his head. 

"Maybe he forgot?"

"He didn't." Bruce  _knew_ he didn't. He also knew the rest of the kids were responsible for this as well. He'd question Selina's motives too if he'd been certain she wasn't a huge Journey fan, herself. She just wasn't the kind to like poppy and corny music. 

Everyone else was quite enjoying themselves to the loud and exciting music. Jason was encouraging everyone to jump up and down during the chorus and of course all the drunken fools obliged, Tim was trying to figure out a way to ask Stephanie to dance with him, Dick was on stage lip syncing into a foreign object unbeknownst to Bruce from this distance, likely serenading Barbara, Cassandra was stuffing her face over at the concessions table and was swaying next to Damian, who was trying very hard to pretend he wasn't having a good time. 

"Relax, the song is almost over." Selena patted his arm. "Then will you go dance with me?"

"I'm not much of a dancer." He sighed. "Well, not like this. If you needed me to ballroom dance with you, I'd oblige, but I'm not very good at the rave scene."

She laughed again and kissed him. No one found him as funny as she did. Most of the time he wasn't even kidding, but then again, he also found her most amusing when she wasn't trying to be. He could never be mad when something  _he_ said brought that smile to her face. It was a smile that said she was happy they were together and after the road they'd endured, was smile-worthy.

He let himself relax for a moment before Jason and Dick both approached the microphone and announced another hit and suddenly "Any Way You Want It" was blaring and everyone was laughing at the way Dick and Jason did a full duet of the song, inappropriate movements and all. Bruce was sure Jim Gordon was grumbling somewhere that his daughter's boyfriend was thrusting his hips on stage to a song implying some x-rated behavior. Barbara could be seen cracking up, cheeks flushed thanks to a likely combination of jubilation and alcohol. Jason was imitating blowjob motions, making the crowd whistle and they provoked the crude folly.

Bruce cringed at them. Everyone else was drunk enough to enjoy their tomfoolery, but it still wasn't the proudest moment for him.

"Come mingle with me." Selina smiled. 

"That would require dancing."

"Why do you hate Journey so much?" She asked point blank.

"Many many reasons. For one thing they sound awful."

"Okay."

"Secondly, Glee overused them."

"You... You watched Glee?"

"Dick and Stephanie made me!" He defended. "It's pretty bad after the third season though."

"You will always surprise me, Dark Knight." She mused. "And third?"

"I kind of..." He felt his face turning red. "I kind of lost my virginity to a Journey song back in the day."

"Oh God." She covered her mouth, eyes bugged out. "There was music?"

"There was a lot of music. And do you know how hard it is to focus on what you're doing as a 16 year old boy and maintain... Control... While this high-pitched voice is ringing through your ears?"

"Which song?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" came on and he just groaned. "This one."

"This is a terrible virginity-losing song, though to be fair, you never struck me as a musical type."

"I'm not." He shook his head. "I couldn't make a playlist for a wedding or a party even if I wanted to."

"So, I'm guessing this first time was a literal flop, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well, everyone's first time sucks. Everyone lies about it sucking for a while, but it really sucks in comparison to what you have when you're older." She winked at him. "I'm glad I know this now."

"Why?"

"Because now I feel less bad about asking Jason to play a lot of Journey."

"What?" Bruce scrunched his whole face up in confusion. How had this surpassed him completely? He was supposed to be a detective too. "You... Like Journey?"

She smirked. "I'm not crazy obsessed or anything like that, but I needed to know why you hated them so much, so I figured now was the best time."

"Our wedding?"

"Til death do us part, Brucie. That includes Steve Perry's high falsetto."

"Alright, alright." Dick smiled and took the mic away from Jason. "Here's a song for the bride and groom."

Sure enough, "Faithfully" by Journey started playing and the lights dimmed. Admittedly, Bruce hadn't really taken a listen to this song before and while the vocals still sent an unwelcome shiver down his back here and there, the melody wasn't horrendous and it was slower than the previous songs, but still kept a simple rhythm.

"Wanna dance?" Bruce smiled down at her. "I have a feeling they aren't going to stop until I give in and this seems just as good a song as any."

They stood up from their table and the crowd parted ways for them like the sea, allowing them to step under their spotlight and begin to sway to the music. It wasn't long before they weren't the only couple inhabiting the dancefloor. No one could resist a perfect wedding song or a chance to hold their date close. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and he became acutely aware to the people around them. There was so much love in this room, so much love he never thought he'd have or even come close to. He stood at the inner circle of all the love, noticing how everyone seemed to wrap themselves into someone either romantic or platonic. It was peaceful.

While they swayed, Barbara could be heard murmuring how "of course" Dick chose this song because "circuses were involved" and he "couldn't resist". And Dick's laugh could be heard soon after along with more serenading to her, causing her to playfully swat at his chest and finally shut him up with a kiss. 

Tim finally got up the courage to ask Steph to dance and while it was one of the most awkward looking images ever, given how far they stood apart and how little they moved, it was clear Tim was happy with the way things went.

Aqualad had apparently asked Cass to dance. It seemed obviously platonic, but it was comfortable and beautiful that Cass was branching out so smoothly. 

Damian and Clark's boy were bickering about something in the corner and Bruce knew it was only a matter of time before something or someone was broken, but he also knew that Damian had been trying to be on his best behavior all day (for Selina, apparently) and that in itself was more than impressive.

Jason's dancing with a bottle of beer was humorous at first, but soon a nearby Dick and Babs snapped at him to get off his ass and go ask a living person to dance. He listened, and found that person in Kori, a former love interest of Dick's. God, their world was weird.

But all of that came crashing down into nothing in comparison due to the fact that the woman in front of him was leaning on his shoulder, in a peace he'd never think she'd find. He'd never thought anyone would be able to find peace of mind with him and he sure as hell didn't think it would happen to a Journey song.

"I think I like this song." Bruce whispered into her ear. "It reminds me of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I have no actual qualms with Journey. In fact, I actually quite like a good bit of their songs.


	12. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all it takes is knowing and feeling that you aren't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Batkids.

Damian jolted forward, sweat coating his skin, pulse completely erratic, and his chest heaving while he tried to let his emotions catch up with what he logically already knew.

_I'm in my room. I'm fine. Father is fine._

_Probably._

_Father is probably fine._

He wouldn't admit it, but Bruce's absences while he was off doing League business always stirred Damian the wrong way. He never slept right when his father wasn't in Gotham. He told himself it wasn't because he missed him, but because from a strategic standpoint, Gotham was far from ready to lose the Batman symbol and while Dick could (and has before) take up the mantle until Damian was ready for it, he didn't want to put that kind of pressure on his older brother. Bruce Wayne would be a terrible loss to the  _team_. 

In his dreams, it always happened in different ways. Sometimes Bane gets him again, sometimes it's Ra's, and rarely is it ever Joker, but more recently, Batman just dies and Damian never gets to see the killer's face. It's a damn disgrace, because Damian can't catch an unnameable figure. He can't press all his hate on one either. When any of the notorious rogues take Batman down, Damian simply breaks the dream apart and compares battle strategy and other outliers until he comes to a sound conclusion that Batman would never die the way his imagination conjured up. He'd trick himself into replaying it so Batman kills his opponent this time and while this is even more unbelievable, it soothes him in ways he'd never speak about to his father. 

But  _this_ was different. 

Not knowing spread an indescribable sense of dread across his body. He felt like he was freezing while simultaneously on fire. Every time he closed his eyes, a shadow would swallow his father whole and the last remaining sight was the look of despair and disappointment on his face. It was unbearable. 

He squeezed his eyes shut before they flew open. He couldn't look at the look on Bruce's face again. It wasn't real, but it might as well have. For now, Damian couldn't calculate a reality where Bruce won the battle and for that, he felt he failed him, and even worse, failed himself. 

He didn't remember deliberately making the decision to turn up at Dick Grayson's bedroom door. Whenever Bruce was out of town, he always stayed in his old room on the penthouse for both Bruce's peace of mind and his own. Though it was never explicitly stated through his cheery demeanor, Nightwing was very anxious about the group's safety and in many ways considered each of them to be his responsibility. Damian knew his father's pressure was probably the cause of that. 

He thought about knocking, but moved inside anyway. It was a quarter past 3 in the morning and while they'd usually be up hopping rooftops and stopping the threats of the night, everyone had stayed up for 36 hours the day before thanks to yet another breakout from Arkham. Killer Croc was never an easy catch and he'd actually lost part of his cape in the process. So, everyone was presumably asleep in the manor except Damian.

With a surprising lack of hesitation, he stepped into the cool darkness of Dick's room. It hadn't been touched much since he was younger and whenever Dick wasn't there, Damian would sometimes snoop around and try to uncover secrets the first Robin left behind. He never found too much, but did once stumble upon some playboys that he'd probably hidden ages ago. He also remembered finding a series of pictures buried in his bottom drawer that dated back to his time with the circus. Damian was familiar enough with the room to know its exact layout and peered over to the bed on the west end to see an unconscious Dick with an arm lazily draped across the waist of an equally unconscious Barbara Gordon. All that could be heard was soft breathing and for a moment, Damian just thanked the Gods that they were fully clothed. It never occurred to him until that moment that barging into Dick's room without a care in the world could have some scarring consequences. 

He managed to get within a few feet of them, not knowing what his objective of this visit was, before she shot up in panic as well and made immediate eye contact with him. His eyes bugged out and he thought she was going to murder him with the closest blunt object, but then her tired gaze softened as it registered to her that there was no imminent danger. He hadn't spoken a peep, but clearly she'd already understood the situation.

"You scared me." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." He whispered back and turned to leave, but she stopped him.

"Bad dream?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but then Dick was shuffling from a stilled sleep and was blearily glancing around the room to assess what was going on. He stretched like a cat before sitting up entirely and ran a hand through his sleep-tussled hair. 

"Well, this is an interesting time to call a meeting." He joked through a yawn. "What's up?"

"Um..." And for some reason, Damian felt very small. He always prided himself on being equally as brave and strong as his older siblings and teammates, but in this moment, he felt his numerical age and that made him feel like he had worms in his stomach. He was supposed to be strong enough to claim the spot of Batman one day and yet here he stood, in his big brother's bedroom, in need of being soothed about a  _nightmare_. He was ashamed of himself.

However, Barbara's response shocked him in a way few could. 

"Damian's getting them now." She said quietly, but anything sounded loud in the pin-drop silence of Wayne Manor. 

The two adults exchanged an unreadable glance and it took a moment for whatever realization to dawn on Dick and he turned back to look at Damian.

"Oh, I see."

 _Now_? This implied that he hadn't been the only one. Was there a large dream-like conspiracy going on? He watched a movie called  _Nightmare on Elm Street_ with Jason and Tim before and that was a series of (terribly unrealistic) situations in which one's nightmares came to life. It wouldn't be the strangest thing that happened to them. Oddly enough, he'd feel better about himself if this were the case. 

The former Robin paused before sliding out of bed and padding over to Damian. He rested a hand on his little brother's shoulder and guided him out of the room. 

"C'mon, Babs, I've got an idea." He threw over his shoulder and the former Batgirl followed suit.

One by one, Dick woke up each of the other kids in the house and told them all to meet in Bruce's master bedroom. Some had been more compliant than others. Tim was a light sleeper and was easily convinced once Dick quietly explained the situation, Jason and Dick physically wrestled (apparently, Jason "sleep-fought" sometimes) until Jason was fully awake and physically dragged by both Dick and Barbara, Cass came easily with the promise of a late night snack, and Steph would only come if she was literally carried and promised she wouldn't have to sit near Damian.

And that's how they all ended up in a clump on Bruce's California-King sized bed. A bag of Doritos lay in the center of their unofficial meeting and Cass seemed rather appeased by that. Everyone seemed their own brand of exhausted, but all were alert in a way only someone trained by Batman could understand. 

"Okay, what's this all about, Dickie?" Jason groaned as he hung off the foot of the bed. "Unlike you, some of us care about our beauty rest."

"That's only because  _you_ need it." Dick retorted. "And I've gotten us all together at this time--"

"--This  _ungodly_ time." Steph cut in from under the pillow she had smashed over her head.

"--Because as we all know, what we do comes with a lot of consequences both physical and emotional." He said. "And sometimes, it's too heavy of a burden to carry alone--"

"--Oh man, are you thinking of growing a mullet again?" Tim teased.

"If he is, Babs, please tell me you'll break up with him." Steph added.

"NO!" Damian snapped and everyone turned their attention towards him. "This is about me and whatever it is you're trying to do, Grayson, I don't want it. I don't need all of you blithering fools to give me a group hug. It's insulting that I would ever want or need such an interaction. I'm not a baby, who needs to be consoled and pampered just because I've had a few troubling dreams. I don't want your pity, neigh, I don't need your pity and I'll sort this out on my own." He moved quickly to scoot off the bed, but Dick snatched him before he could get free and pulled him back so he sat between he and Barbara. 

"Damian, stop."

"You've had... Bad dreams?" Cass asked carefully.

"Yes, you can all go on and make fun now." He rolled his eyes and waited for the grand theatrics of teasing particularly from Jason, Steph, and Tim. He couldn't necessarily blame them. He'd relentlessly mocked each of them for less, but that's just how they operated. He hated to admit, but he wasn't sure if he could take such tomfoolery now. He already knew he was putting himself into a corner for admitting vulnerability and now he would either be babied or ridiculed. He couldn't decide which was more insulting to his pride.

Surprisingly, it was Jason who puffed out a deep breath. The older boy seemed even more exhausted than usual when all traces of snark were gone from his face. Damian never realized how many lines he had or the bags beneath his eyes until now. The sliver of gray in his hair made a lot more sense now.

"Dude, we're not gonna make fun of you."

"Why not? I'm supposed to be better than this. I've faced death in the face. I've caused death. I've--"

"--And you're still a human being." Barbara interjected. "You're not a machine."

"And we all get them." Tim shrugged. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You do..." Damian looked at each of them quizzically and suddenly they all looked older to him. Each had dropped some facade of being okay all of the time and ghosts lingered behind their eyes. Years of looking straight into hell, some longer than others, bit them all. Even Dick, who constantly maintained an appearance of being the optimist of the group, looked like someone with a past that haunted him many times psychologically. 

"Pretty bad, too." Cass nodded. 

He still struggled to wrap his mind around this truth and it was apparent to everyone else too. 

Dick smiled weakly before loosening his grip on Damian and leaning back on his arms. "I'm usually caught between a choice. Kill or have someone I love be killed and of course I make the move and kill, but every time I do, I'm left with this cold feeling... Like, I'm no better than them. Sometimes I'm not quick enough and the person I love ends up dying anyway and I'm left with nothing... The person at risk changes all the time. Sometimes it's one of you guys, sometimes it's one of the Titans, sometimes it's Bruce... Hell, it's been Alfred more than once. Bruce usually shows up in all his Dark Knight glory and tells me something similar to that he taught me better and that it's not up to me to decide who lives and who dies. He never seems to understand that in that moment, I did have to decide. I tried."

His usually bright and shining eyes were dimmed by darkness and he let himself get lost to this pressure that plagued him. Barbara lifted a hand and gently stroked the back of his neck and his eyes flickered back to reality and swallowed heavily.

"They happened a lot after the whole ordeal with Blockbuster. They've kind of slowed down in recent years, but still come back every time I wear the cape and cowl for Bruce."

It wasn't lost on any of the kids that the responsibility Dick carried on his shoulders was a heavy one. Damian always thought he handled it with admirable grace and humility, especially since Dick was typically more than comfortable with attention. Bruce always had unrealistic expectations for Dick, because he was the first. He didn't have anything else to compare his experiences to. He expected him to follow the same exact moral path that Bruce had taken and while he wanted Dick to grow up to be different than him, he grew frustrated when he couldn't transfer away his emotional baggage for the cause. He'd leveled with him over the years, but it clearly still burdened him. 

While the Batman was a symbol of hope for the rest of the world, and a mantle of honor for Damian, it was a burden for Dick Grayson. One he still held up when he had to, because he was selfless and understood its importance to others. 

"I usually dream about my dad." Steph removed the pillow from her face and tucked it under the back of her neck. By the challenging look she shot Damian, it seemed she waited for him to taunt her the same way he'd expected her to taunt him. Like her, he didn't say a word.

"I dream that he's alive."

For most, this would sound more like a positive than negative dream, but everyone knew Cluemaster and his troubled relationship with Stephanie and it was the opposite of anything good.

"He's just a masked thug or something and for some reason I'm alone and chasing him. It's irrelevant what he steals or who he hurts, because it always ends the same. I'm chasing him, even though I don't know it's him, and I catch up, of course. I tackle him and rip off his mask and he rips mine off too. Then, he's just staring at me with venom in his eyes. So much hate... So much hate for someone who brought me into this world and I'm reminded then that I wasn't ever supposed to be here at all."

"But you are. And we're glad you are." Tim gently took her hand and she acknowledges his kindness with a nod. 

"But I am." She repeats more to herself than anyone else.

Tim leaned against the headboard, letting his head fall back a little against the wall. "I dream about my Dad too. It's different, of course, but I dream about that last day I saw him. He just... He wanted me to have a better life, you know? Bruce could protect me better than he could and that made sense. I dream about how Boomerang snuffed the life out of him. He dies and it's slow and painful and I'm so far away... I was too far away to ever be there for him. I was too busy being Bruce Wayne's son that I didn't take enough time to be Jack Drake's son."

She squeezed Tim's hand. "You know that--"

"--Wasn't my fault? Yes and no. Yes, logically, I've calculated it out and there's virtually no reality where my presence would have made a difference. No, because I was so quick to sacrifice being his son so I could be Robin. I was so desperate to have this life that I never once thought about the consequences. In my dreams, sometimes he comes back in a ghost form and asks me why and I never have an answer. I... I really hate not having answers."

After a long string of silence, and taking it as his hint to go next, Jason absently ran a hand across the gray streak in his hair and began. "Unsurprisingly, I dream up a lot of weird shit, but Joker tends to stick with me the most."

At the mention of the Clown Prince, Damian noticed Barbara glance at her feet and wiggle her toes. He wasn't sure if she consciously did it, but he didn't blame her for needing reassurance every once in a while. Her recovery had been a miracle just as Jason's being alive was a miracle. However, like that, it was a curse as well.

"Usually, I become him." Jason stared off into a faraway place that seemed to be lost in the ceiling somewhere. Even though he was laying down, he looked anything but relaxed. The scars behind his eyes were damning and nothing Jason could joke about could deny this. 

"I steal, murder, rape just to spread insanity. As he does." His voice cracks a little, but no one acknowledges it. "And when I look in the mirror, I always expect to see Joker, so I can wake up and hate him, but I only see myself. So, I wake up and..."

"And yeah." He ended it there, but everyone knew what he meant.

_Hate myself instead._

Damian hadn't been around for what happened to Jason. From what he heard, it was a divisive time for all of them and emotionally draining beyond belief. He knew Joker brutally "killed" Jason, but he was never given the details on it. Frankly, Damian didn't care to know them. Jason was usually an asshole, but it was obvious he used that to cover for something else. Damian wanted to tell him he wasn't the Joker. Although he never had the same amount of guilt over killing as Dick and Bruce did, it still smothered him. 

"I dream about Joker too." Barbara wiggled her feet again. "It's not always a full visual of what happened... Or how it could have been a lot worse. Sometimes, everything's just black and all I hear is his laugh and feel his breath on my skin. He never shouts, just whispers and then cackles at full volume. His touch is like cold nails against my skin..."

Jason had been brainwashed by Joker and from what Bruce had told him, Damian could assume Jason had repressed a lot of the memory. Barbara, on the other hand, was fully conscious and possessed an eidetic memory. There wasn't a detail of that horrid night that escaped her. Dick once said she could recount the exact amount of wrinkles on Joker's face when he smiled wickedly and while he never divulged that this clear memory came from that night, Damian was able to fill in the blanks. 

"And y'know, now that I can walk again, it isn't really any better." She said and her eyes never left her feet. "Survivor's guilt, maybe, but I've had dreams where he's taken it all away from me again. It happens when I'm Batgirl, Oracle, or just myself again. He remembers me too, the sick bastard, and it's all just some big plan to get back at Bruce or my father, which is so much worse since I'm cast on the wayside, helpless and powerless."

She released a breath. "He wants to make me his next Harley Quinn."

Damian wanted to vehemently object to the idea, because Barbara Gordon would never,  _could never_ , submit to someone like Joker even after the most brutal torture. She'd sooner die. She would die. After thinking about it, he realizes this is not a very comforting thing to say, because the logical woman likely already knows this deep down.

Cass bumped feet with Barbara intentionally, a nudge that came from a place of comfort and also a silent request for assistance so she could begin her own tale. "I dream of... First murder..."

"The businessman." Barbara nodded in understanding. "When you were eight."

"Yes. Businessman." She repeated back carefully. "How proud my father... And mother... Everything dark and... Quiet. He had... He had family. I go to his... Um...?"

"Funeral." She added.

"Yes. All cry. All cry a lot. Children and wife. Poor now because me."

"Because of your father." The former Batgirl corrected.

"I kill. I kill before I even talk." Tears filled Cass's eyes. "Bring him back. Can't."

Damian thought about all the people he'd killed with the League of Assassins. He thought about his first year in Gotham and how trigger happy he could be and how Bruce would constantly have to intervene. Damian still felt death was only a part of life and that some people had to go to save others, but he understood the preservation of human life a bit better now and Cassandra did too. He'd never killed someone he didn't choose to kill. He made that decision himself. He couldn't imagine being young and forced to.

They all sat around in a heavy silence and Barbara slung an arm around Cass's shoulders out of comfort. Damian knew terrible things happened to all of them, but he thought they all got over it, that being a hero meant being emotionally unaffected, because that's why the fates chose them to do this. They were supposed to be stronger than everyone else. And now... Now he wasn't sure what the point was at all.

"I dream of losing my father." Damian said simply. "I dream this whenever he leaves, that he'll never come back. Then Grayson has to be Batman until I am ready and I dream that I am never ready and Grayson suffers because of it."

"Dami--"

Damian held up a hand. "I dream that the world falls short because we don't have him, that we fall short because we don't have him. He took us all in one way or another and what if we can't go on without him?"

"Bruce is gonna come back, Damian. He's just off to deal with some minor League business." Time assured. "I've been tracking him and--"

"--And he's probably already removed his tracker." He spat. "You're a good detective, Drake, but Father is better."

"Maybe, but we have to believe he'll come back. And if he doesn't, we have to believe he trained us well enough to take over for him, because we have to try. You gotta understand that."

"Easier said than done." He snapped. "You need to realize you couldn't save your father, Brown's father is dead and its illogical to believe otherwise, Grayson killed Blockbuster because he had to but it still happened, Todd isn't Joker, Joker isn't gunning for Gordon, and Cain was a child when she killed that man and should feel no guilt about it. How does that feel? Do you think I _want_ to feel like this every time he leaves? Do you think I _enjoy_ feeling inadequate? Do you think I  _ask_ for the stupid sullen looks you're all giving me right now? No. but these nightmares that afflict me don't give me much other option."

Tim fell silent. 

"Alright." Dick wrapped an arm around Damian's shoulders. "We all have our ghosts that haunt us and they're all valid to us. Nothing we say is going to make them go away completely, but it's about dealing with them when they come about and supporting each other."

"How do you dispel them?"

"Alcohol." Jason blurted rather quickly and when he received a pointed glare from Barbara, he added, "And y'know... Thinking about something that makes me really happy."

"Like what?"

"Well, it has to be some powerful stuff if it's going to thwart the Joker, but when I'm at a loss for sleep thanks to some overthinking, I like to try and picture how I felt when I first became Robin. More specifically, I like to picture leaping off rooftops for the first time, the wind in my hair, the freedom. I'd spent a lot of my life on the streets, doing whatever I had to do, but when I first became Robin, even though there were rules, I was doing what I wanted. I was free."

Jason's eyes fluttered as he was talking about it, a lazy smile on his face while he leaned on one arm.

"And that feeling when I'm suspended in the air... That's still the best part of my life."

"I like to think about stories." Cass smiled and laid head to foot next to Jason. "Reading... Reading and sharing... It makes me feel my freedom... _To Kill a Mockingbird_...  _Gulliver's Travels..._ _Fahrenheit 451... Great Gatsby... Harry Potter..._ I go places Father and Mother never thought... Possible."

Tim chuckled. "Did you ever get around to reading  _Lord of the Rings_?"

"Mmm." She closed her eyes and smiled. "Life-changing." 

He yawned, but his smile never left his face. "I like to think about my first kiss."

"Get a room, Romeo." Jason grumbled and Damian had to agree that it was corny. 

"Shutup, doofus." He returned, still playful. "Stephanie and I were fighting about a case, a hostage situation to be precise, and of course I had a huge crush on her--"

"--No shit."

"Anyway, we got closer and closer as we were fighting. She was being irrational and I was being stubborn, the usual. Then, we got the news that Bruce got everyone out and after hours of fighting... Nothing really mattered except that we won. We got them, and that feeling of victory on top of the kiss I got is still a top 5 experience for me. I smile every time I think about it."

"Timmy!" She swooned and curled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Seriously, do you want the rest of us to leave?" Jason asked and his eyes were completely closed at this point. Damian just rolled his eyes at the couple and their gooey ridiculousness. 

Everyone laughed and Steph sighed. "I like to think about my first night here in the manor. I didn't exactly want to be here at first and of course Bruce and I were constantly butting heads, but Alfred came to my room that night with warm cookies and milk. He told me it would be our little secret. I never remember feeling like I belonged anywhere until that moment."

Damian smiled in spite of himself. Alfred had that effect on people. He sort of wished the Butler was here right now, swapping stories, but he knew deep down that he'd try (with good intentions) to make them all go to sleep.

"I like to think about my parents." Dick beamed. "I like to think about what they'd think of me and yeah, sometimes it makes me a little sad, because I'll never  _really_ know, but they were... They were such good people."

"Exceptional acrobats too." Tim mused, eyes shut and still sitting up.

"Yeah. They were always talking about how proud they were of me. I think they'd like some of my new moves too."

"I think so too." Barbara said.

Dick laid down where he sat flat on the mattress. "What about you, Babs?" 

Barbara slid down beside him and reveled in the feeling of the soft silk bedspread against her for a moment. She closed her eyes and smiled. "A few things usually work for me. The sensation of hacking into the FBI's database, graduating from school and making my dad proud, or even just a memory of getting hotdogs after patrol."

Damian didn't understand the significance of the last memory, but Dick was gazing at her like she was a sunset and he'd never seen daylight before. He leaned up and pressed a kiss into her hair and the smile on her face broadened and she leaned into his touch. Nobody told them to get a room, not even Damian, because while he'd never verbally admit it, if anyone was going to date Dick (because the guy refused to take his or Bruce's advice in going at it alone in their dangerous world), he was glad it was her. That, and they'd been a long time coming.

Dick reached forward and pulled Damian down so he laid between the two of them. Damian thought about what they'd all said, what made each of them happy and in a way each suited them. Jason's was about freedom, Cass's was about knowledge, Tim's had victory and happy endings, Steph's involved a sense of belonging, Dick's surrounding family, and Barbara's centered around everything that grounds her from her anxieties. Soft and steady breathing started to overcome all of them. 

As he felt the weight of slumber pulling his own eyes closed, Damian smiled lightly. If he were asked, he wouldn't tell, but he knew what he'd think about next time he had a terrible nightmare.

 _This_.

* * *

 

"Yes, Master Bruce, the kids are all fine. See for yourself." Alfred turned the tablet towards the bedroom where all the Batkids lay as a heap of entangled limbs.

Tim was still propped up against the headboard, neck visibly growing stiff from having his head tilted back. Stephanie had shifted from Tim's shoulder to laying entirely across his lap. Tim's legs were intertwined with Dick's. Dick laid curved on his side, face pressed into Barbara's shoulder. Barbara was on her back, head slightly tilted so her face rested on the top of Dick's head. Jason still hung half off the foot of the bed, but on his stomach, obnoxiously sawing wood. Cassandra used his back as a pillow with her legs on top of Barbara's and mumbled incoherently in her sleep. Last, but not least, Damian laid in between/on top of Dick and Barbara with his head on Barbara's stomach and legs curled over Dick's side. Her right hand absently stroked the youngest Robin's hair. 

"Why are they all sleeping in my bed?" Bruce asked, still dressed as Batman from his meeting with the League.

"I'm not sure the logistics of it all, but it appears they might just miss you."

"Do you think they're going to be okay for a while longer?"

"Yes sir, I think as long as they've got each other, they'll be just fine. Besides, they're quite cute when they're like this, aren't they?"

The slight upturn of Bruce's lips showed he certainly didn't disagree.

"Shall I wake them?"

"No. Let them sleep."


	13. My Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ward- a person or thing under the supervision of a government appointed guardian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early part of Bruce and Dick's relationship.

 

"Happy anniversary, Master Dick." Alfred smiled warmly as he waltzed into the young boy's room carrying a tray with a high stack of pancakes on them. While he was by no means a morning person, Dick perked up from his pillow at the sight and smell of breakfast, despite his confusion on the occasion. 

"Anniversary?" He was already a whole mouthful into the pancakes when he asked.

Alfred shot him a disapproving look for his talking with his mouth full, but proceeded anyway. "One year of your being here, sir."

Dick stopped chewing. 

_God, it's already been a whole year?_

"I know the circumstances in which you arrived were far from ideal." He said cautiously and analyzed every square inch of the boy's face as if he were waiting for a cue to stop talking. "But I think I can speak for Master Bruce when I say we love having you."

When he gathered his bearings, he swallowed the mouthful of pancake and smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks, Al. This was really cool of you to do. I like being here."

And the thing was, he did. He liked it even more now that he got to spend his evenings delivering sweet justice to the underbelly of Gotham City alongside the Dark Knight. It gave him the opportunity to feel as though he were doing some good to correct the bad that had been thrust upon him. He got to save other people from losing their parents early and while that couldn't bring his back, being Robin helped him cope in a way. The six months before that titular moment of discovery were rough. He felt Bruce was distant and cold, because he didn't want him there, but it turned out, Bruce was distant and cold, because that was just the way he was. It helped him be Batman, that's for sure.

He just couldn't believe it had been a year since he last heard his mother's voice or since his father ruffled his hair before the show. The fall was still cemented in his brain and while it still woke him up in a cold sweat at times, he didn't feel hatred towards the world and all of human existence as he had when he first arrived at Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne was so incredibly infuriating too, because he couldn't lash out at him in projected anger about misunderstanding, since Bruce knew exactly what Dick felt. The difference was: seeing Bruce was terrifying, because Dick  _didn't_ want to become like him when he was older. In other words, Dick didn't want to still be drowning in the loss of his parents 15 years later. It grew apparent that Bruce didn't want him to end up like him either.

"Master Bruce has something for you as well, sir. He's in the cave."

"Sounds good." Though Dick was on edge about what Bruce could possibly have for him. It was obvious Alfred did all the shopping for Christmas and birthdays, even if both of their names were on the packages. The only stuff Bruce ever specifically picked out were weapons he had specially designed by Lucius. That, in itself, was his idea of being heartwarming. 

Dick could remember when he'd begun getting used to the idea of being Bruce Wayne's ward. At first, the status bothered him. It made everything Bruce did seem like an obligation of the government. Of course, Bruce had volunteered and that was significant, but it felt an awful lot like being a charity case in the beginning. Alfred made it better most of the time, acting way more like a parent than Bruce ever did, but then again, Bruce  _wasn't_ his father. He was a guardian and as long as Dick wasn't bleeding in the streets or starving to death, he didn't have to play much of a role outside of public. The public appearances were brutal, though Dick started to mind them a little less when he realized the friendship between Bruce and the commissioner was pretty strong and this meant the commissioner would drag his daughter to some of those events. 

The idea of being a ward faded in the background when he became Robin, because any thoughts that Bruce was being distant for any other reason besides being Batman also faded away. It also helped that they'd started actually doing things together. Dick was still the one who did most of the talking, but Bruce was always intently listening even if he was trying to shush them while they were patrolling Gotham. 

He smiled as he thought about how after his first night ever hopping rooftops, he and Bruce sat at the kitchen table and drowned oreos in tall glasses of milk. Since then, that was the tradition. After each successful mission, they ate oreos. When it was a bust, neither of them were very available for celebratory snacking, so if there wasn't anything else to do for the night, they typically sat in front of the TV and fell asleep to jeopardy reruns. Dick would always try to guess despite his annoyance at their loss and Bruce would never correct him, even though the billionaire obviously knew the answer. 

When they did things like that or Bruce helped Dick with his homework, he didn't really mind being a ward. In fact, being a ward felt a lot like being a son sometimes. He rationalized that maybe the difference lie in their nightly crusade. Would a real father actually team up with his 10 year old son to fight real and very dangerous criminals? He couldn't picture Bruce Wayne parenting any differently when he thought about it.

Being a ward was odd at school. He referred to Bruce as just "Bruce" and every one of the other prep school kids all looked at him in shock whenever he did. They all snottily referred to "father" or "daddy" every other sentence, especially when money was involved so he guessed first names were unheard of. He'd have to explain that Bruce wasn't his father at all and that he was just a legal guardian that took him in. He had a father. He was dead alongside his mother, but Dick refused to forget where he came from.

Of course, kids were absolutely terrible.

_"Doesn't it ever bother you that you're Bruce Wayne's charity case?"_

_"Wow... I wonder what kind of prison time Wayne is avoiding by taking YOU in."_

_"So what are you? His house elf? Is he your master, young ward?"_

_"What? Were you in the pound and you were about to be put down? Is that why he took you home?"_

They'd calmed down in recent months, particularly because Dick found it a lot easier to ignore them, but children had a funny way of honing in on a person's insecurities and while he knew Bruce to be a very good person now, he still wondered what the hell compelled him to adopt a circus boy. Was it to fill a role for Dick that he never had growing up? Was it because he needed a sidekick? Was it because having a kid would explain a decrease in black tie events?

He finished his breakfast before standing up from his bed and stretching. He made his way down to the cave, still amazed that this was his life. He'd still trade it all away to see/talk to his parents again, but he was moving in a direction of eventual satisfaction and that felt good. It felt good to know that a bright path was still available for him and that he had the chance to make his parents proud of him. 

Bruce was dressed entirely in the Batsuit with the exception of the cowl. His back was to the entrance, but certainly he knew Dick had arrived. Even without the quiet swish of the secret entrance, Bruce had incredibly honed senses that convinced Dick that he had eyes in the back of his head.

"Hey, Alfred said you had something for me?" It came off as a question, which was something he did when he got nervous. Normally, he tried to exude some level of confidence into his words, but sometimes uncertainty crept in and it all went to hell. He just hoped he could maintain a cool in front of Bruce, who looked more intimidating when he was dressed as Batman, even sans cowl.

"Yes." Was the simple reply. He was never one for words and even from behind, Dick could tell he was... nervous? Was that a possible emotion for Bruce Wayne? He'd seen Batman express a full range of negative emotions, but nervousness was too minuscule for him, too minute for him to be bothered by it. It wasn't "nerves" when the risk of people dying was on the table. That was fear at its finest and an appropriate time to endure it. 

"Okay... Should I sit?"

"You can."

Aside from the quiet hum of computers working in the background, the cave was silent and Dick found himself shifting uncomfortably until he made the executive decision to sit. It was too difficult to stand and appear still and strong for whatever bomb Bruce had for him. It had to be personal to some degree, because again, the level of anxiety being projected wasn't filled with the urgency of life or death. However, it did seem important enough to stir the rock of a human.

"As you know, you've been living here for one year." 

"And you want me to pay rent?" He tried at a joke. "I'm only 10."

"No." He sighed. "I want... Well, I want to know what you want."

Dick wrinkled his eyebrows. "What I want? Are you taking me shopping or something? Or is Lucius designing me a new suit  _without_ tights?"

"This isn't about... I don't want you to feel any pressure about this, but I was wondering if you wanted to stop being my ward?"

He never would have thought those words would crack him so hard. A year ago, he'd barely blink. He was so trained for loss at that point that it wouldn't have mattered anything other than losing a roof over his head again. Now, he swore his throat was closing up and tears were rushing to his eyes like a floodgate had been broken. It wasn't just about losing Bruce and Alfred. He'd have to say goodbye to the friends he made at his new school, lose his outlet of being Robin, never eat Alfred's cooking again, and leave a place he'd  _just_ begun to find home between its large walls. There was also this brand of being unwanted that gnawed at him. 

_What did I do wrong?_

Bruce straightened as his eyes fell over Dick's watery gaze. "You could stop being my ward, and become my son? Legally?"

The tears that flew to the surface would have to hold on for another day, because he snapped his head up to look at Bruce. "What?"

"I wanted to adopt you completely when I'd first met you." He ran a hand through his hair. "But you'd just lost your parents and I remember when I lost my parents. I wouldn't want some stranger moving in and pretending like he could be my father. I know I'm not the greatest role model for you, Dick, but I don't want you to think for a second that I didn't  _want_ you. I do want you. Otherwise you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be asking you if you want this. You're a good boy and you deserve a real family and while I wouldn't say anything about this is orthodox or typical, I can say that I will do my best to be a good father by you."

 _You are a good father by me_.

Dick's eyes traveled over to a small stack of papers on the desk near the main computer. He could tell from here now that they were adoption papers. He couldn't explain the feeling that spread over him. Relief? Confusion? Sadness? Happiness? It was all jumbled.

"Whoa."

"I won't be offended if you say no." Bruce said quietly. "I mean it. You can still live here as my ward if you want. I understand if you feel like its too soon or that this is insulting to your biological parents. I can't replace them and this by no means is my attempt at doing that. I just... I don't know if ward is a good enough term to describe you anymore and I'd be proud to have you as a son."

After a long and thoughtful pause, Dick looked up. "I want to keep my last name."

He didn't smile, but he could tell the man was happy. Even though his emotions were still all over the place, he knew he was happy too. "I understand. Would you like to sign the papers now?"

He scooted up from his seat. "Yeah."

Of course they dunked oreos that night. And while Dick still called him "Bruce" and kept his last name in remembrance of his mom and dad, he knew now that he was incredibly lucky that another father stumbled into his life when he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I like the whole Damian/Bruce father and son thing, it always bothers me when DC treats it as though this is Bruce's first time being a father. DICK GRAYSON IS BRUCE WAYNE'S SON AND JUST BECAUSE HE'S ADOPTED (the whole *ward* technicality bullshit annoys me too) DOESN'T MAKE THAT ANY LESS VALID!!!!


	14. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is very protective of his big brothers AND father (whether they know it or not).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a recent development in the Batman comics (spoilers *kind of/not really since we've all seen it coming from a mile away*).
> 
> Damian-centric and includes the girls (except Cass)

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today." Damian paced back and forth as the assembled group watched him do so from their view on the couch. He didn't bother to disclose the details of such a meeting, because he was intelligent enough to know that they were flippant enough to scoff at the subject matter if warned beforehand. As much as he wanted to be feared or revered by most, he knew he didn't have such standings with his current audience. It frustrated him and impressed him all at the same time. He did mention to each of them that it was imperative they arrive in civilian clothing, because this was "personal". He wasn't lying about that, not that he minded lying.

"We're at the edge of our seats here, baby bird." Selina Kyle popped gum in her mouth. She was positioned quite the opposite, giving the impression of annoyance. He rarely ever saw the Cat when she wasn't irritated or aroused. Then again, the two only ever encountered each other when they were around Bruce. When she was around Bruce Wayne, she seemed to only have two modes and they usually intersected. Now, she was just annoyed and wasn't the only one. Barbara Gordon was beside her, squished between Selina and Stephanie Brown. Neither of the Batgirls seemed particularly pleased with having their Saturday afternoons interrupted by a 13 year old boy with a superiority complex. 

"Don't call me that." He snapped.

"Touchy." Her grin was almost evil and he knew she would not make this easy for him. When did she ever make anything easy? His father seemed to like that about her, but Damian did not. Feistiness was too unpredictable and impossible to trust in the field. There was too much time wasted on banter when it came to Catwoman. The same could be argued for Grayson with his tendency to make up new words and flirt with Gordon over the comms, but Damian chose to let his older brother slide on the grounds that he knew he could trust him through and through. 

"I've let this go on long enough." 

"Yeah, you've kind of just been pacing back and forth for the past 5 minutes." Brown rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I meant, Fatgirl." He spat and she stuck her tongue out at him. "I was referring to this incessant desire to distract the male members on our team."

"What?"

"It was one thing when it was just Gordon and Grayson, even though _that_ relationship is intoxicatingly disgusting most of the time with all the relentless banter, it was fairly tolerable given how pleased Grayson seemed to be as a result of it. However, your track record isn't promising and it seems the two of you have been on and off since you've met. Then Brown came along and all that unnecessary drama ensued surrounding her unborn child and as much as I dislike Drake 99% of the time, it was incredibly dangerous for him to be so distracted and lost in a relationship when lives were on the line. Now, the Cat is marrying my Father and this means this nonsense is going to start to really affect the team and Gotham. That is where I draw the line."

"That's it?" Selina snorted.

"That and acting as liabilities."

"Liabilities?" Gordon narrowed her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, we can take care of ourselves."

"This Cat's got claws, tweety bird, and she's gone toe to toe with the dirtiest of dogs since before you were  _born_."

"Maybe so, but the second any of you are in any proposed danger, your suitors would drop the necessary responsibilities placed upon them to save you. To be fair, you'd do the exact same for them."

"I think Dami's lonely and is tired of being the only single bird in the nest." Brown smirked and Damian's face turned a bright shade of red.

"I would  _never_ align myself romantically and jeopardize the welfare of Gotham and/or the world! My destiny is to take up the cape and cowl when Father bestows it upon me and I will only engage in sexual intercourse to procreate so that I have an heir to train and continue my legacy. Whomever bears my child will be monetarily compensated properly, but will be overall unnecessary moving forward."

"You're a romantic, just like your father." Selina winked.

"There isn't any room for romance in crimefighting. It's distracting, emotionally exhausting, and disillusioning."

"You sound like such an ass right now." Brown rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and there's little logic to your claims. If you have an issue with attachment, it makes zero sense that you would ever even have a child to carry on your legacy. The love between parents and their kids is a lot greater than that between a romantic couple." Gordon reasoned. "So, really, if love and attachment are endangering Gotham, you'll be doing a whole lot worse than what we're presently doing."

"I would treat him or her exclusively as a prodigy and nothing else. Alfred raised Father and I was raised by the League as an assassin. This way, there's no emotional attachment."

"Oh please, you were a total mama's boy." Selina retorted. 

"I was not!"

"You _so_ were!" Gordon joined in. "What with all the "DON'T SPEAK ILL OF MY MOTHER" stuff you bellow out all the time."

"I think he misses his mommy." The blonde chimed in.

"I do not! Stop with this foolish talk! I gathered you to end a recurring blemish in our team record so we can all return to acting as professionals in our field without any hard feelings."

"I _just_ got the Bat to put a ring on it. Not gonna happen, kid."

"You must! It is one thing to find physical solace in others when needed, as disgusting as that still sounds, but being in a committed relationship while leading the lives we lead is a disastrous path with zero positive outcome. You'll all get pregnant and eventually hang up your capes, robbing Gotham and the world of heroes that they desperately need. If you're hurt, Batman, Nightwing, and Red Robin will surely throw themselves into the crossfires. Once again, directly afflicting Gotham. If a villain catches wind of your union, which they always do, they'll utilize that to their advantage. None of us have powers as is, we don't need any more weaknesses than we already possess."

"Do you really think we haven't thought about any of that?" Brown asked.

"The stakes are always going to be high, but it just has to be worth the risk." Gordon said.

"And it is." 

"No, no it isn't!" He snapped. "It's selfish."

"It's our lives." Brown countered.

"It's all of our lives!"

"Let's stop pretending this is even about danger." Selina rolled her eyes. "Because I'm growing very bored of this dead-end conversation."

"Care to tell us what this is really about?" Gordon crossed her arms suspiciously. "Because Dick and I have been on and off for the better part of 12 years and on consistently for the past 2 years, Selina and Bruce have been entangled for as long as I've known them in some twisted way, and Tim and Steph have been a solid couple for a while now. No one's done anything reckless as a result of this as of recently. If anything Damian,  _you've_ been the most unpredictable and dangerous. That tantrum you threw last night when you went off to go fight Two Face's goons by yourself? Yeah, not good."

"Yeah, none of this is new." 

"Except the proposal." Selina raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you and Dickie aren't too far behind, Babs."

That made the redhead shift a bit uncomfortably as well, looking down at her feet with a pink hue to her cheeks, definitely not refuting the claim though. That made Damian's skin boil all the more. He knew this wouldn't be an easy feat, but he didn't expect them to bring out such anger and frustration in him. He'd done a decent job managing his reactions and emotions since he joined his Father's crusade, but the three women in front of him were truly testing his patience. 

Brown smiled in amusement at Gordon's bashful reaction before turning back to the young boy. "So cut the act and tell us what's really going on." 

"It's not an act. I want you to break up with my brothers and father."

"And we're all pretty firm on  _not_ doing that." Selina hummed. "It seems we're at a standstill then."

There was a beat of silence and Damian felt the gut-punching reality that he was going to have to tell them the truth to convince them otherwise. Maybe if they were able to see things his way, they'd understand where he was coming from. It was a long shot, given how stubborn Catwoman and the Batgirls were notorious for being (a common trait in the Batfamily).

"Fine." He looked away. "I see things are getting quite serious between all of you. As much as I still believe love to be a liability in this line of work, it's not my entire reason of disapproval."

"Go on." They were humoring him at best, but more than curious for his explanation.

"I have seen my brothers and father suffer many great losses. I've heard about even more of those and while they were always able to pull themselves back together, there was always a period of discontentment that completely pulled them out of the game. Now before, I just assumed these were all meaningless flings that would sting at first when you all inevitably broke up, but would be recoverable in the end. Now I see things are a lot more severe than I'd assumed. Either way, I'm going to lose them."

"Damian--" Gordon tried. 

"If you die or you break their hearts, they will never recover who they are, not really. Father has never been as happy as he is right now and I saw that last night when he proposed to you. Grayson walks on sunshine when Gordon is even within a square mile. Drake will always, even absently, be in physical contact with Brown if she is in the room. And it goes both ways! I didn't know the Cat was even capable of being genuine or joyful until last night. While Gordon tries to subdue her expressions of affection for Grayson for the sake of professionalism, she never takes her eyes off of him when he's in the room, and Brown is all over Drake to the same capacity that he's all over her. It would ruin all parties if something happened and I-- the team could not take such a blow."

"Kid--" Selina tried to cut in as well.

"On the flip side, it's inevitable that you'll all step away from fighting crime and get lost in your own selfish domestic lifestyles, because you'll "outgrow" Gotham and forget about everything you've always stood to protect. There isn't a time limit on all of this, you know. It isn't fair for you to leave me-- us... I mean, Gotham."

"Demon child!"

"Do not call me that!" He growled.

"Damian." Gordon gently took his hand and urged him to sit in the little remaining room between her and Selina. He didn't know why he complied, given his usual refusal to follow any physical cues he didn't come up with on his own, but he didn't put up a fight.

"We aren't going to leave you and we aren't going to be any cause of death or intentional heartbreak of the boys." 

"We love them." Brown shrugged. "That's the beauty of love. We don't want them hurt just as much as you don't want them hurt."

"Only the good kind of pain." Selina winked and Damian gagged. 

"All that's good and fine to say, but you cannot promise it. It's impossible to keep. It all has to end some way or another when it comes to romance entangled crimefighting. You'll either leave or be one's kryptonite."

"I think you're ignoring a lot of the strengths too." Gordon smiled.

"Like what?" He scoffed. "And don't say sexual pleasure, because while I am only 13, I happen to know _some_ of you were well taken care of in that department before your relationships."

"I feel like you're really calling me out there, squirt." Selina raised an eyebrow. "You should stick to red, because slutshaming is not a pretty color on you."

"It's nice to have someone to come home to at the end of all this madness." Brown sighed. "We see such terrible and awful things on a daily basis that it's nice to be reminded that not everyone is terrible or awful."

"Watch a lifetime movie and you'll get the same feeling."

"Having someone to see you off in the morning isn't mimicked properly in movies, though." Selina added. "Starting the day on a positive note-- Whether it be sex, a quiet breakfast, or just a kiss good morning-- does wonders for self confidence."

"Tt-- Even having time for that at all is fine enough."

"I was kind of like you when I was younger. One of the reasons I didn't want things to be serious between Dick and I was because of how much I cared about him and knew how dangerous our line of work is. I never wanted to be any reason of weakness for him and didn't want some villain to use him against me either. Of course, I never hosted an intervention of threats or anything, but I definitely overthought the entire process. Then, I almost did lost him... Several times. Like, a lot. Young Dick Grayson was constantly living on the edge of death or frolicking with another impossibly beautiful woman--"

"Like Starfire. She is incredibly and unbelievably attractive."

"Yes, thank you." Sarcasm dripped from her lips and Selina did a little catty noise, which caused her to roll her eyes. "But we kept coming back to each other like two stupid magnets that had no idea what they were doing. I realized a while ago that I'm at my best when I'm fighting _beside_ him and it was ridiculous to deny otherwise."

"Well, of course, you've been training together since you were my age."

"That, and because love makes you better." She nodded firmly. "There's little logic or reasoning to it, which you know someone like me struggles with at times, but it's true. I can understand what I'm fighting for when I go out every night. I want everyone else to have the same opportunities I have and more to feel this way and feel safe in doing it. We've already had so much taken away from ourselves and life is so short that it's important to take chances on each other."

Damian was silent for a moment. "And leaving the team?"

"We're adrenaline junkies, dummy, we're not quitting any time soon." Brown snorted. "Even if I have kids I'm keeping this up somehow and so is Tim. It's too integral to who we are as people."

"No one is abandoning you." Gordon squeezed his hand. "They love you too much to ever let that happen."

"And we don't mind you either." Selina winked. "Most of the time."

He let out a heavy puff of air in defeat. "I suppose it isn't worth attempting bribery?"

"How much?"

"Selina!" The other two girls chided.

"Kidding, of course. I'd rather marry into it." She waggled her ring finger, and although she played coy, anyone could catch the twinkle in her eye. She and Bruce were two broken halves that became whole when they were together. Neither were just empty shells as they were for years and could understand and support each other for the tests of time. Both had something to be happy about in each other, which was saying something.

"Alright, then." He shrugged and stood up. "However, if any of you hurt my brothers or father, that will be the end of you."

Brown bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from laughing. It didn't work.

"What?" He snapped.

"We aren't going to hurt them, Damian." Gordon also struggled to maintain her bubbling laughter, but her smile was genuine. "It's very sweet how much you care about them."

"You tell them and you're dead!" He barked before slipping out of the room. "I'll see you on patrol tonight."

He hated to admit it, but he liked his brother's and father's choices in girlfriends. They were much more family than anything on the fringe. Gordon and Selina had been around long before he ever came on the scene and Brown fit in perfectly with the ever irritating Drake. He'd have to make a mental note to threaten them not to hurt the girls either, because like it or not, they were family to him too and he didn't really want to lose them either.

 


	15. Last Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin teaches Batgirl that some moments are retrievable and sometimes, can be improved upon if you're in the right company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High school-aged Dick x Babs.

Batgirl sat perched on the ledge of the building adjacent to Gotham Preparatory School, her soon to be alma mater, watching it with a careful eye as if it were ready to up and move if she so much as blinked. Even through the conglomerate of sounds from the busy streets below her, she could still hear the buzzing of house music generating from the school. A few kids hung around outside, likely catching air from the vivacious festivities. A gentle May breeze caressed her face and she welcomed it with a deep breath that she'd been unaware she was clinging onto.

She said nothing when she had to bail on Jason Bard for homecoming, because Scarecrow decided to try and infect the entire city with his recent scare serum. 

She said nothing when Jason Bard broke up with her, because she had to cancel several dates since Mad Hatter kidnapped a bunch of little girls, consuming two months of endless searching. 

She said nothing when she had to miss her gymnastic banquet to help stop Joker from blowing up Gotham General.

She said nothing when she had no choice but to miss senior awards night in order to prevent Killer Croc from eating an entire squadron of police officers.

And she said nothing when a bomb threat came in the night of her senior prom.

For as much as the irony of being put to watch on her high school never escaped her, she knew there was nothing to say on the matter. She didn't like missing important milestones in her regular life, but she understood the sacrifices that came with the life she chose to live in parallel to normalcy. She told herself frequently that she still had more of a life than Bruce, since his reality _is_ the Batman. Bruce Wayne was the mask and Batman was the person. She knew this wasn't true in her case. Batgirl was a part of her, indeed, but Barbara Gordon was who she really was. Barbara Gordon drove Batgirl to be the best she could be. It just seemed Batgirl only returned the favor in severely screwing with Barbara Gordon's social life. 

 _"What's next, graduation?"_ She wondered to herself. Then again, that was during the day and she was fairly sure Bruce Wayne was being called to make a speech as one of the largest donators to the school. 

She told herself that she was just missing stupid stuff and maybe that would be true if she'd only missed a  _few_ of the things she'd thought about, but in reality, most of the big moments of her high school career were sucked away by her alter ego. She knew she wouldn't change anything, but it didn't make her less sad.

She hated that she was sad over a stupid school dance.

"Did you have a dress picked out?" A familiar voice startled her, which made her all the more furious for being caught off guard.

"Wha-I thought B told you to take the north end!" She snapped and glared at Robin.

"Didn't you hear him? He's traced the threat back to some 40 year old white supremacist who still lives in his mother's basement. It was all a ruse to get attention for some bullshit cause."

She sighed and stepped down to join him on the roof. "Well, I guess I'm glad it was all bullshit. A lot of kids could have been hurt on prom night."

He nodded. "You okay?"

She reacted quicker than she wished she had, because haste never came from someone who wasn't on edge-- no pun intended.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Neither returning with a question.

"Because... I don't know. Sometimes I wish I didn't miss certain things for the job." He shrugged. "Prom would probably be one of those things."

"You did miss your prom."

"Yeah,  _Junior_ prom. Everybody knows Senior prom is the one all the movies are about, BG."

"I'm okay. I'm not much of a dancer anyway."

"Lies." He scoffed. "You love dancing and you know it. Maybe you're not really into a bunch of sweaty teenagers and their grind trains, but I've seen you dance and the kind of smile you emit while you're doing that can't be faked."

Batgirl internally groaned at his extensive knowledge of her. While she'd be a liar to say he didn't impress her at times, it would be easier to be best friends with a guy who wasn't a detective and was just as dense as a good majority of the rest of the male population. The truth was, Robin noticed her and he always would, which meant she wasn't going to get away with anything. 

"I guess I'm just kind of realizing I didn't have much of a high school career."

"You're valedictorian."

"Yeah."

"And captain of the gymnastics team. You're set to go Olympic level."

"Yeah."

"Not to mention the president of the student body. And leader of the scholastic decathlon."

"Yeah."

"I'd say you did pretty good there, Batgirl."

"Maybe, but ask me if I've been to a single party."

Silence.

"Or if my teammates know a single real and deep thing about me."

Silence.

"Ask me if any students would vote for me again or if they even know who I am at all."

Silence.

"On paper I look great. I'm the Ivy league's wet dream apparently, but I didn't enjoy any of it. I'm not saying I wish I was out drinking and smoking with those buffoons every weekend or that I want to swap girl talk with my team, but I've lost a lot of moments. I don't necessarily regret any of it, because on a more complete level, being Batgirl has made me happier than those artificial things ever could, but when combined all together, they're not so fake, you know?"

"I know." And there wasn't a hint of sarcasm or teasing in his voice. "I get it. I do. For the record, I think you look great off paper too."

"I know you do. Very cheesy, by the way."

He smiled and turned to look out at what was his school too. A whole grade younger than her, she knew he wasn't looking forward to his next year there without her. While he was infinitely more popular than she ever was, they were always sort of a tag team even when they spent most of their time with significant others. She knew he could stand on his own two feet, both as a boy becoming a man and as a superhero. Batman didn't necessarily see it that way yet, but for the World's Greatest Detective, he could be incredibly dense. 

They sat there for a moment, standing side by side and looking out at their school.

"Where does your dad usually think you are when you're off saving the world?"

"At school." She laughed. "He's too wrapped up in fighting with us to notice much. I'm pretty careful about curfew."

"He wasn't curious about pictures or anything like that for prom?"

"I took pictures."

His head snapped to her. "You  _did_ buy a dress then."

"You're very fixated on this idea of me in a dress. You've seen me in dresses before, you know."

"What can I say? You wear a mean dress, Gordon."

"Field names,  _Boy Wonder_." She chastised. "And thank you."

"I wanted to ask you, you know." He babbled. "But Wally told me that you can't ask a person if it isn't your dance and I didn't want to seem stupid or keep you from taking someone who you really wanted to go with, but yeah. I'd have liked to see you in a pretty dress. Again. Even if I've seen you in pretty dresses whenever we go to galas or top security missions together that require dressing up. I'm always... Well, I like you in anything and I know you're more of a tomboy at heart, but I do know you well enough to know that this was all a right of passage for you and the dress just symbolizes that. You wouldn't have had to go with me, of course. I'm sure you had a date of some kind lined up--"

"--I didn't." 

"Oh."

"I really didn't want to have to flake on anyone if something like this wild goose chase happened." Her heart fluttered a bit. " _But_ _for_ _the record_ , I would have said yes." 

"We might still be able to make if you're able to swap the boots for heels."

She snorted. "Wishful thinking, Boy Wonder, but there's only like 15 minutes left."

Robin watched her in a way she knew to be considered carefully even with the domino mask disguising his eyes. With the twinkling skyline of Gotham City as his backdrop, he almost looked like he was glowing, beautiful even. When they were younger, he was easier to read, more likely to tell, but they'd been through a lot since then and whether she wanted to believe it or not, a shift in the undercurrent of their relationship occurred. She wasn't sure when or where that happened, but it did and now it felt like a waiting game she wasn't sure she was even playing. She knew he always had a bit of a crush on her, and maybe there were moments where she occasionally felt the flicker of a flame as well, but within the past year or so there was this indescribable pull that both attracted and annoyed her. Then again, that was a perfect description for how she felt about the Boy Wonder. Attracted and annoyed. 

"Come on." He grinned and leaped off the side of the building without anymore clarification or direction. She watched him soar through the air and eventually grapple onto the side of the school before following him. 

She climbed to her feet and carefully walked over to where he stood. He peered down through a sun roof window to see the bustle of teenagers making out and swaying to a sound both recognized to be "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Batgirl backed away from sight and looked at him curiously.

"Are we signing up to be last minute chaperons? I know the bomb threat was a red herring, but I'm sure there's more interesting activity to dissuade here in the great bucket of turmoil that is Gotham City."

He chuckled and took a step towards her. "Nope. I happen to think the activity right here is plenty interesting."

"Oh yeah?" This time she stepped towards him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but here, on top of the prom, with you." He outstretched his hand to her. 

She laughed, but her eyes twinkled at him in delight. "You're such a dweeb."

"A dweeb  _you_ said you'd go to prom with if he asked."

"He didn't, though." 

_"Why didn't you ask? Why didn't I ask?"_

His smile faded for a moment, as if he were wondering the same thing, but he got himself back on track with another trademark grin and dropped down to one knee dramatically.

"Batgirl, will you be my date to  _your_ prom?"

It was impossible not to return his dimpled smile with one of her own. In between a fit of giggles, she grabbed his gloved hands and pulled him to his feet. "Yes, Dork Wonder, I will be your date for the final 10 minutes of this dance."

"10 minutes? That's all I need."

"Promise me you won't say that in the future."

"I-" He stumbled and even in the moonlight she could see the reddish hue of his cheeks. "Shut up. Let's dance."

"On the roof?" She wrinkled her nose in confusion for a moment.

"The moon would be more romantic, but I don't have those kinds of resources yet, BG."

"Yes, well, I'm sorry I'm not exactly wearing what I'd thought to my prom."

"That's okay, I like you in this better."

She laughed again and he pulled her flushed against him, wrapping one arm around her waist and taking her hand in his as they began to sway back and forth. Robin was remarkable at recovering from blunders and transforming them into something smooth. She rested her other hand comfortably on his broad shoulder and let herself lean into him. None of their movements were complicated, which she was more than alright with. Although they'd rehearsed and mastered the "big move" from  _Dirty_ _Dancing_ in their spare time along with other choreography to improve agility and coordination, something about swaying felt right for the moment. They probably looked absolutely ridiculous and a small part of her cringed at the thought of Batman somehow spying on them at this very moment. The bigger part of her didn't give a damn.

"Thank you." She said after a while. "This is really sweet, Di-Robin."

"I'm just sorry you couldn't go to the real thing."

"This is better, somehow."

"Really? We're sweaty and dressed in leather and spandex. Not for the reasons most of these kids will be tonight, either."

"Yeah." She smiled. "I think this reflects the good parts of my high school career a lot better than any stupid school dance ever could."

"So... I'm the good parts." He was joking, but he wasn't wrong. He wasn't  _everything_ , but he was a lot of it. Where Dick Grayson tended to be, those were the brighter spots of her life. 

Her hand had moved to the back of his neck, toying with the hair at the base of his head. "You're definitely not the bad parts."

"I'll take it." He sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do without you next year."

"Likewise." She agreed.

"You're going to kill it in college, that's what you're going to do."

"Maybe, but who ever will dance on rooftops with me when I'm feeling sad about missing a school dance to save the world? And not make fun of be even though that's ridiculous."

"I know you're joking, but I refuse to accept that we have to give everything up for this life. I know Batman sees it that way; that the only way to walk this path of heroism is to completely submit yourself and defend humanity by stripping yourself of the luxuries of it, but... We are human. We're human and what's wrong with letting ourselves live so we can better understand the importance of life? Why can't we protect the ones we love and continue to love them? I want to make Gotham a better place and to make people happy, but I want to be happy too."

She stared at him thoughtfully. There it was. There was the difference between Batman and Robin. Through and through, Robin was the light that Batman strove to protect in the rest of the city. She felt a little guilty reducing him to a metaphor like that, but it was unmistakable and eye opening. She knew he was sad on the inside, more often than he'd care to admit or ever show outwardly, but his determined optimism always inspired her both as a hero and as a person. That was Robin. Hero and person. She loved that about him.

"And what makes you happy, Robin?" She asked softly, acutely aware of their proximity and the fact that the song had long since ended and her classmates were piling out of the gym to head to the post prom party, but they didn't stop swaying.

"Lots of things..." His breath ghosted on her face. "Playing video games after school with the guys... Helping Alfred cook even though everything I touch becomes incredibly inedible... Spending time on rooftops with you..."

"Actually." He corrected himself and backed away to look at her with as much intent as anyone with a domino mask could. "Doing anything with you."

They'd stopped dancing, but neither let the other go. Both his hands had dropped to her waist while hers looped around his neck. His nose gently bumped against hers as he leaned into her. He stopped there though, waiting for her reaction.

She hummed before meeting him in the middle. "Good answer."

They'd been inching towards this moment for a long time, but he still gasped a little bit when her mouth met his. She smiled against his warm lips at his surprise before raising a hand to his hair to deepen the kiss. Like always, he bounced right back and actively participated in the exchange as well with intensity yet a bountiful amount of tenderness. His hands pressed just above her utility belt on her sides and pulled her closer. She knew this was impossible, since they couldn't fit a page of paper between them if they wanted to, but she didn't object to the attempt either on the off chance that she was wrong.

She found her mind briefly drifting off to their first kiss when they were kids...

Or when they played spin the bottle at his 14th birthday party...

Or when they were undercover as a couple...

Or _several_ New Years Eves...

_"Wow, okay maybe you liked him a lot longer than you thought. You certainly found a lot of excuses to keep kissing him."_

Right now? As the Boy Wonder expertly explored her mouth with his tongue, she could understand why.

She appreciated that he didn't make any attempt to be handsy, because as much as she enjoyed this evening a whole lot more than she ever expected to, that did not mean she was about to fall under the cliche of having sex on prom night. Her hands raised to his face and gently separated them, lingering on his lips and placing a chaste kiss to his swollen mouth once more before fully parting from him.

"I... I would have taken you to prom ages ago if I could have." He stuttered and she couldn't resist kissing him again.

"Well... There's always yours." She beamed.

She knew that in the future, she wouldn't remember losing prom night to vigilantism, but gaining something a whole lot better.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's funny, because I've always thought "Drops of Jupiter" was a very applicable song for these two, particularly after Dick returns from his run with the Titans. That's actually why I squeezed it in there. Just saying.


	16. Drunk Texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 times a Batkid drunk texts Bruce and the one time he drunk texts them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Batfam and their relationship to alcohol.

* * *

**Jason** : Hey Bruce

 **Jason** : Bruce!!!!!!

 **Jason** : Bruuuuuuuuce

 **Jason** : Brucie Brucie Bruce where are you

 **Jason** : Jesus Christ I could be dying in a ditch and you are STILL ignoring me

 **Jason** : BRUCE FUCKING WAYNE ANSWER ME THIS INSTANT YOUNG MAN

 **Bruce** : WHAT?!

 **Bruce** : It is 4:30 in the goddamn morning, Jason. I just got home after being up all week chasing down Riddler and tracking down each of the bomb-strapped hostages. This better be good.

 **Jason** : Oh good, you're up

 **Jason** : Send a ride to the corner of 3rd and Asher

 **Bruce** : Why? What'd you find?

 **Jason** : Terrible drunk stumbling around... Got kicked out of Haggarty's for fighting 

 **Bruce** : Get GCPD over there for him

 **Jason** : Nah he's good people

 **Bruce** : I appreciate your desire to help the little people, but the police can handle a belligerent drunk tonight.

 **Jason** : Just send a car he's a friend

 **Bruce** : Why was he fighting?

 **Jason** : Some prick thinks the Cars movies are actually better than the Incredibles

 **Bruce** : And you disagree?

 **Jason** : Damn straight!

 **Bruce** : Jason...

 **Jason** : What?

 **Bruce** : This drunk is you isn't it?

 **Jason** : ...

 **Bruce** : You dumbass.

 **Jason** : My drunk texting is pretty good

 **Bruce** : Goodnight, Jason.

* * *

 

 **Steph** : knockknock

 **Bruce** : What?

 **Steph** : not rifht answr

 **Bruce** : Stephanie.

 **Steph** : killjay

 **Bruce** : Is something wrong with Jason? 

 **Bruce** : Answer me!

 **Bruce** : STEPHANIE!

 **Steph** : allllwayz sumthin ring w jay buuuut I meant to say kill JOY 

 **Bruce** : You're drunk. Where are you? Send me your coordinates this instant.

 **Steph** : answer my KNCK KNOK

 **Bruce** : NO! COORDINATES!

 **Steph** : JOKE FIRST

 **Bruce** : Fine. Who's there?

 **Steph** : Boy fuckin suc nd play w my feelins aaaand they dont own up to shit and I hate them

 **Bruce** : I understand. Come home and we can talk about it.

 **Steph** : Swear if Dami ends up such asshle ill smack

 **Bruce** : He won't. I won't let him be like whoever you're describing.

 **Steph** : Jus wannabe happpy an wat not and I deserve R E S P I P P I

 **Bruce** : You deserve the world, but more importantly you deserve to come home alive tonight. Let me send Alfred to come get you.

 **Steph** : Kay... You mad?

 **Bruce** : At whoever drove you to drink yourself this ridiculous? Yes. I might break his fingers. 

 **Steph** : Good.

* * *

 

 **Dick** : What are you doing?

 **Bruce** : Reading up leads on that burglary spree. 

 **Dick** : You're so smart.

 **Bruce** : You can read too. Why do you ask?

 **Dick** : Well, I was wondering if you wanted me to swing by tonight.

 **Bruce** : I've got it covered.

 **Dick** : Wow that makes me want to come even more.

 **Bruce** : Why?

 **Dick** : I like it when you take control.

 **Bruce** : You've never indicated that before.

 **Dick** : Liar! I indicated that pretty strongly the other night.

 **Bruce** : When we got in that fight over it? I didn't see it that way.

 **Dick** : You can show me if you like.

 **Bruce** : You've been working hard lately. Take the night off.

 **Dick** : I LIKE working hard for you.

 **Bruce** : I never realized you felt that strongly on the matter. 

 **Dick** : I think I've made it very clear on countless occasions how strongly I feel. You didn't seem to mind the results either.

 **Bruce** : That may be true, but Tim and Jason have it tonight. 

 **Dick** : ... What?

 **Bruce** : It's their night.

 **Dick** : I don't like this talk anymore. 

 **Bruce** : Okay?

 **Dick** : Can I just swing by the clock tower and let you put a baby in me?

 **Bruce** : WHAT???

 **Dick** : Fuck I fucked that up.

 **Bruce** : I'll say!

 **Dick** : I mean obviously I'm the one who puts the baby inside the you.

 **Dick** : Theoretically. 

 **Dick** : We don't have to have babies. 

 **Dick** : I don't want babies.

 **Dick** : Now! I don't want babies NOW. 

 **Dick** : But someday...

 **Dick** : Provided you even like me enough to want my babies.

 **Bruce** : THIS IS BRUCE NOT BARBARA!!!!!

 **Dick** : ... Oh

 **Bruce** : I want to vomit. You two fornicate in the clock tower?

 **Dick** : Whaaaaat? Nooooo. That was a joke. Sex? I haven't even had sex haha

 **Bruce** : Sure. 

 **Dick** : Is it weird I'm kind of glad I was talking to you?

 **Bruce** : Yes.

 **Dick** : I haven't even told her I love her yet and here I am talking about babies. 

 **Bruce** : Yet, huh?

 **Dick** : Bruce, I'm too drunk for this right now.

 **Bruce** : Okay, that's it, you are benched for the rest of the week. Clearly, you're beyond exhausted and are more overdo for a break than I'd thought. Go out and get drinks with the Titans like you've been wanting to, make up for numerous days of lost sleep, take Barbara on a date because she needs a break too. 

 **Dick** : I kinda did go for that drink already. 

 **Bruce** : I noticed that.

* * *

 

 **Cass** : Tonight I have made an important discovery.

 **Bruce** : Is this pertaining to Man-Bat's whereabouts?

 **Cass** : Yes.

 **Bruce** : Alright. Let's hear it.

 **Cass** : You mean read it.

 **Bruce** : Yes, Cass.

 **Cass** : I have discovered that I can handle twice as much alcohol as Jason and thrice as much as Tim.

 **Bruce** : What does this have to do with Man-Bat?

 **Cass** : Did I say yes? I meant no.

 **Bruce** : You too? I expected this from the others, but you've never engaged in their tomfoolery.

 **Cass** : Perhaps I am better at getting away with it.

 **Bruce** : Until now, apparently.

 **Cass** : Yes, this was a bit of a slip up, but I did just drink the boys, as Steph says, "under the table".

 **Bruce** : Your punctuation is still in tact.

 **Cass** : I am never too drunk to use quotation marks. 

 **Bruce** : Wait are you all at the same party?

 **Cass** : Yes. Would you like updates? 

 **Bruce** : Yes.

 **Cass** : Dick drinks a lot of fruity drinks.

 **Cass** : Jason mocks him for it.

 **Cass** : Tim pretends he doesn't like them too.

 **Cass** : Stephanie is trying to get a game of flip cup going with frat boys. 

 **Bruce** : STAY AWAY FROM FRAT BOYS

 **Cass** : I've killed before.

 **Bruce** : ... Right. Keep Steph away from frat boys. And Tim. And Jason.

 **Cass** : Barbara just won an arm wrestling contest. Dick is so proud he is singing now.

 **Bruce** : Dear God...

 **Cass** : Tim fell asleep.

 **Cass** : Jason is drawing a rather engorged set of testicles followed by an exaggeratedly large penis on his face.

 **Cass** : He is calling it a portrait of Dick Grayson.

 **Cass** : Barbara is laughing really hard.

 **Cass** : He was upset for a second but now they're kissing. They're really weird. 

 **Bruce** : Please make sure they all make it home alive. 

 **Cass** : Will do.

* * *

**Tim** : Bruce... I'm so so so so sorry

 **Bruce** : What's wrong, Tim?

 **Tim** : I did something real bad 

 **Bruce** : I'm sure it's not that bad. Tell me.

 **Tim** : But I'm sorry.

 **Bruce** : Okay, tell me what's wrong.

 **Tim** : Promise you won't be mad?

 **Bruce** : I can't say anything until you tell me what you did!

 **Tim** : I'm sorry!

 **Bruce** : Okay! You're forgiven!

 **Tim** : Thank you.

 **Bruce** : So what did you do?

 **Tim** : You know the watermelon in the fridge?

 **Bruce** : Sure. You're drunk aren't you?

 **Tim** : Very. I'm laying in front of the fridge. I'm texting through the audio fling.

 **Tim** : *Thing

 **Bruce** : I got it.

 **Tim** : Mad?

 **Bruce** : No but our family is quickly approaching new lows. 

 **Tim** : I knew the blue bin had vodka soaked water melon in it and I still ate it all.

 **Bruce** : All of it?

 **Tim** : Yeah.

 **Bruce** : Wow you must feel sick.

 **Tim** : Really sick.

 **Bruce** : Queasy?

 **Tim** : Oh yes.

 **Bruce** : Jason swapped out the water melon in the containers so he could have the alcohol soaked ones. You're fine.

 **Tim** : Then why do I feel sick? I've got a rash and everything.

 **Bruce** : I think you're allergic.

* * *

 

 

 **Bruce** : You need to be Batman tonight.

 **Dick** : But the Nightwing costume is sexier.

 **Barbara** : Not wrong. 

 **Bruce** : I didn't realize I sent this in a group chat.

 **Jason** : Oooooh are we swapping secrets?

 **Steph** : Tim still sleeps with a blanket!

 **Tim** : DO NOT!!!

 **Jason** : Tim is afraid of ladybugs!

 **Tim** : AM NOT

 **Cass** : Tim stacks his shoes to make himself appear taller

 **Tim** : WHAT THE HELL GUYS?

 **Bruce** : Seriously you need to be Batman.

 **Dick** : Okay why?

 **Bruce** : I'm not in the right state of mind.

 **Barbara** : Last time I checked you used this as your therapy

 **Tim** : As unhealthy as that is.

 **Jason** : Shutup ladybug

 **Tim** : I'm never telling you anything ever again. 

 **Bruce** : I don't feel well.

 **Steph** : You once went out with the flu.

 **Jason** : Yooooooo I know what's up.

 **Bruce** : Jason...

 **Jason** : BRUCE IS DRUNK!!!!!!

 **Bruce** : SHUTUP!!!

 **Dick** : Wow I am just so disappointed in you young man.

 **Tim** : This is just a new low. 

 **Steph** : COORDINATES!! 

 **Cass** : Stay away from frat boys!

 **Jason** : Dickie pls don't be batman leave his ass in the desert

 **Barbara** : Chances are he's in his big fat mansion 

 **Dick** : I'll be Batman for Gotham and also because I had a lovely conversation with Bruce while drunk that I hope we never ever talk about again

 **Barbara** : ?

 **Dick** : You're so pretty.

 **Bruce** : Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to vomit.

 

 


	17. A Dumb Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the world almost ends (again), Dick realizes he's been stupid about the whole Babs thing all along and to counteract his stupidity, does something even dumber in hopes of winning her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Directly related to the end scene from Young Justice Invasions #20-25, but all later events in this story follow my personalized canon (aka I pick and choose what I want which is the beauty of comics). 
> 
> Dick x Babs-centric.

_"Marry me, Barbara."_ The words had a way of grinding in his ears at the shrillest magnitude. Jason Bard had a regular tone of voice, but to Dick, it all sounded like high shrieks. He shouldn't have seen what he'd seen, but it wasn't his fault that Barbara's boyfriend of 6 months decided to publicly drop the question when the weather started picking up and it seemed the apocalypse was merely beginning. Civilians all over were making rash decisions: gambling, looting, doing drugs. Somehow, this felt so much worse to him, even though he logistically knew it wasn't. Then, of course, it occurred to Dick that maybe it wasn't so rash. Bard asked Barbara to make a point of taking the night off from all jobs and activities, which included the team (even if he didn't know it) and to dress up. They were in the Italian village, basking in the evening glow, before he got to one knee. The rush of hysteria and deadliness of the climate seemed to only speed along the process, not inspire it. 

Of course fate would have him there for the full spectacle. 

She looked beautiful when he asked her too, a sparkle of surprise in her eyes and a shocked gasp exiting her perfect rosebud lips. He hated how perceptive he was in moments like this. He hated Jason Bard, the force of nature that made him view such an event, and most importantly, himself. Barbara opened her mouth to answer, but stared quizzically at him instead. He mentally forced himself not to make any sudden movements or say anything. She looked dumbstruck by it all if he was being honest. He couldn't tell if that was from the gust of wind that sent Nightwing into a tree right beside the scene. Fate was funny in that way. And by funny, he meant a real asshole. 

Dick was at just as much of a loss for words as she was in that moment and he wondered if Bard found her long and silent exchange with the vigilante Nightwing a peculiar behavioral trait for someone who was just proposed to. The backdrop of the chaos helped her case, most likely, but Jason Bard still looked so eager for an answer. Babs seemed to have it right at the edge of her tongue before lightning struck and a fire began. She'd been separated from Jason, but made sure he got to safety as she suited up and ran alongside Nightwing and Robin into the belly of the beast with the rest of the team. 

She vanished immediately after the dust settled without so much as a word to him or anyone other than she had a proposal to revisit. The girls were more than excited for the most part, clapping and squealing about how Batgirl was going to be the first to get hitched. Artemis seemed down, clearly thinking about Wally and how that was once a potential spot for her at one point. Dick tried to refocus on his wins of the evening instead of harping over a loss.

Artemis stormed over to him, the opposite of cheerful over their success and socked him in the arm.

"Ow! What?" He yelped.

"So that's it?" Her eyes were red hot and he couldn't tell if she was about to scream or cry. She'd been understandably on edge since it happened and Dick was feeling that too, but like most members of the Batfamily, suppressed it for a rainy day. He did miss his best friend more than anything, especially in moments like these. Wally always had a way of brightening the room even when it seemed at its darkest. He could really used that right now.

And ice for his arm after Wally's girlfriend just beat it to a pulp with one swing.

"What's it?"

"Don't "what's it", me, Rob. You're just going to let her go?" She nodded in the direction Batgirl disappeared in.

"I didn't "let" her do anything!" He justified. "She can make her own choices. I can't do that for her."

"Yeah, and she doesn't think of  _you_ as a choice, moron!"

"Well that's just..."

"Accurate. It's accurate. Now, look, Wally and I have been watching you two dance around your feelings for each other for  _years_. Wally always said it's been going on even longer than that. Look at everyone, Nightwing."

He followed her gaze to the various romantic pairings on their team rejoice by embracing and kissing passionately. There was something powerful about the "live another day" visual, because it made time seem even more precious than usual. They didn't have the normal allotted time for romance and love that everyone else had the luxury of enjoying. They had to live like there wasn't going to be a tomorrow and to enjoy every moment. Wally would say something sage like that, only riddled with a bit of inappropriate language and humor along the way.

"If the world actually ended, how would you feel about your relationship with her?" She demanded. "Would you be proud that you screwed around for a few months, some of which you claimed to be the best sex of your life, only to drop it there, run away, and see her go off and marry someone else?"

"No." He lowered his head. "But Artemis--"

"--Do you love her?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want to be with her?"

"Yes!"

"Just her?" 

"Of course!" 

"See, you answered all of that far too quickly to be someone who doesn't want this."

"I've always wanted this, but she's my best friend and has turned me down on the grounds of immaturity before."

"You need to show her you aren't immature, that you're ready to be serious."

His heart rate picked up dramatically at the thought of his next step. He'd have to go now and lay it all out on the table. 

"I've got to stop home real quick first."

* * *

Babs walked into her quaint apartment, a weight of exhaustion spreading over her. After the day she had, a bubble bath felt warranted. She took a double take at herself in the mirror all done up. The light pink halter dress was as good as any choice to be proposed in. Her hair was now down and flowing after the swap between her civvies and her Batgirl suit, but it had been pinned into pretty curls earlier in a way that accented the sparkly earrings she wore. Her makeup was more significant earlier, but thanks to the massive tornadoes and sandstorm, it had been considerably subdued. 

She smiled and nodded before making her way over to the bathroom. She stopped dead in her tracks when a frantic knock came at the door. She looked through the peephole, not about to be burned (or shot) the same way ever again and perked up in surprise when she saw a sweaty Dick Grayson still dressed head to toe as Nightwing.

"Nightwing, fancy having you drop--"

"--Babs, I don't know if Bard is here, but this can't wait."

"Is everything okay?" It was an odd question after an attack from the elements, but it was fair considering how quickly evil spawned up.

"No." He answered simply. "I haven't been okay since I was 13 years old."

"Um, you said it, not me."

"Because that's when I realized I loved you." He pointed at her. "That's when you were the only 8th grader who was nice to me and God, I wanted you then too."

"Dick..."

"Not in the "jump your bones" want, but... Well, at 13 maybe. But I mean I've loved you in some way since I've first met you. I didn't hear Bard's entire speech or anything and obviously you're more than welcome to marry the guy. You don't need my permission, because you're not my property, but I can't, in good conscience get over this or you if I don't try. I know you have feelings for me, Babs. I could tell even when he was proposing to you, and not just because my skull crashed into a tree. I may have a concussion."

"Uh, yeah."

"And that's okay, because it only took the world almost ending and a concussion to give me the guts to spill out my heart to you. Babs, I realized something as earth as we knew it crumbled around us. I realized that I haven't been with another woman in the entire time you've been with Jason."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't--"

"And I didn't want to be! Not for one second. And I know you think I'm a dog and you were totally right, but God, I haven't had sex since the last time you and I did it, because it just seems pointless after that. You're my best friend in the world and being with you is in the top 3 experiences of my life. This wasn't all just to wait for you or to prove anything either, because most of the time I didn't even realize I was consciously distancing myself from other women. I can't stop thinking about you. Even when I'm not thinking about you, something always reminds me of you. You're everywhere and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hey--"

"--And I know I don't have my own PI business, nor am I British, or two years older... But don't think for one second that I wouldn't be committed to you, because--"

"Dick!" She finally cut him off and wiggled her bare ring finger. "I broke up with Jason."

His tongue got very dry all of a sudden and he looked at her in shock. "Full break up?"

"We want completely different things!" She exclaimed. "I'm 22 years old for God's sakes. I'm not ready to get married."

"You're not." He tensed.

"No, of course not! Not to mention, I'm still in college and he doesn't even know Batgirl."

"And that's the only reason?" He treaded lightly.

"Well..." She smiled. "I did kind of take you crashing in out of nowhere as a peculiar sign if I ever did get one."

"I'm not an expert on proposals, but that doesn't seem like a good omen."

"I can't believe he asked to marry me." She sighed. "I can't believe you're at my doorstop begging me not to marry him."

"I can." He said rather defensively. "You're the entire package. And more. I feel at home when I look at you and when I thought you were maybe going to marry that guy... I thought I was going to go crazy, because I hate moving."

"Oh God, that was corny."

"Too much?"

"Big time." She gently smacked him. "So tell me, Nightwing, you came all this way over here to stop a proposal I already declined. What was your next move?"

"Well..." He trailed off for a moment, thinking of a new approach. "I was going to ask if you'd... Go out with me instead? I know I'm ready for you. I wasn't before, but you're not going to be another one of those exes I'm friends with."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't want you to be an ex at all, but I care about you too much and this matters too much for me to be so breezy about it and let it slip through my fingers."

"What's that?" She interrupted. 

He felt his face blossoming its own inventive shade of red as he squeezed his eyes shut.

He dropped it. 

Barbara's eyes immediately found it, of course. She was a perceptive detective trained by two of the best. Her eyes bugged out for a moment and bent down to slowly pick the diamond ring up. She covered her mouth in a mixture of emotions before finally looking at his face, which was purposefully avoiding eye contact with her. Even through the white films of the domino mask, she could still tell.

She was so delicate with it, afraid she might break it. That would be difficult, given the size of the diamond.

"You... You were gonna..." She, herself, couldn't seem to formulate a proper sentence. It had to be something about the dress she was wearing that made boys really want to ask her for her hand in marriage.

"Uhuh." He uttered stupidly. He wanted to leap off her balcony so desperately right now. The silence in the room was killing him.

_Oh no you've scared her off! That's even worse than appearing afraid of commitment. At least that can be outgrown. Now I just seem crazy!_

"But... Why?"

"Because I love you." He answered simply. "And Artemis was telling me that if I really loved you, I had to show you that I'm not the dog or manwhore you think I am. I had to show you how ready I am to have just you and I figured... Well, Jason Bard is proposing to you. There really isn't much more commitment than marriage. If you wanted me to, I'd marry you right now, but now I feel really idiotic, because that's not what you want at all and this is just coming off very creepy. I'm such a dumbass."

A bright smile slowly lit up her face as she began intensely laughing from her whole body. Dick just watched her in both confusion and amazement. Of course, embarrassment would always linger at the surface. It didn't seem like she was too scared though.

"So let me get this straight: in order to prove you are ready to date me, you went out and got an engagement ring instead of just sticking to all the other nice stuff you said before."

"Correct."

"And you ran home to get that ring, because I'm assuming it's an heirloom of some kind, and made no efforts to get changed or anything. So if Jason was here, we'd be shit out of luck."

He just grimaced. "Mhmm."

"So all day you thought I was saying yes to Jason, because I wanted to get married so you, in turn, decided to up and marry me instead. And you were planning on out-proposing Jason?"

"I had to try!" He whined. "It made sense when I was racing through the city to get here. Though when you say it like that it does sound really stupid."

"You." She reached forward, still laughing hysterically. "Are so dumb."

He jutted his lip out in a pout, but it disappeared as she took his face in her hands and pulled him so his lips met hers. A smile still broke out across her face as she kissed him, resting a hand on the back of his head to interlace her fingers in his wavy locks. She gently pulled away, grinning ear to ear.

"Very very cute though." She mused. "And sweet."

"I can take being dumb." He hummed as their noses bumped. "Because I'm ready to be your dummy."

"Oh you absolutely are." She exclaimed while linking her arms around his neck. Babs waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "So what do you say we go inside and celebrate our non-engagement?"

He huffed out a laugh against her mouth. "That sounds like the most sensible offer today."

She kissed him again, this time long and languidly, while quickly picking up heat as they backed into her apartment. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to dissolve any confusion (of both you guys and of myself), I've decided to add a chapter in the beginning that will serve as a timeline of sorts and it'll be edited of course whenever I add a new oneshot to the mix. Hopefully that will be good since I'll probably never write a linear timeline of oneshots, but I want things to remain fairly consistent.


	18. Pass the Remote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Batkids make an interesting first impression on their new teammate, who finds they're not at all what he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duke Thomas-centric but also a focus on the other Batkids too.

Bruce walked the teenage boy through the many corridors of Wayne Manor. Aflred was on his other side, providing commentary to Bruce’s tour, including several comedic jabs that managed to ease the younger figure’s nerves. Bruce knew the kid had been through a lot in the past few years. From outsmarting Riddler to resisting Joker’s brainwashing, he knew he was more than worthy of working alongside the rest of the team. Besides, like every other protégé, he had his own brand of family problems and needed a proper outlet for them.

Alfred made his fair share of jokes about what Bruce deemed “proper”, but he’d let it go. He was always hesitant to introduce new members of the team, because it was inevitable a competition of some sort was struck up. Someone would feel they were being pushed aside and it was worse until it was better. 

Dick was the most social and least threatened by new partners. He was trusting, not stupid, but saw the best in everyone he could. As Bruce’s longest pupil, he’d adapt and likely take him under his wing as he had everyone else. If he could get Damian to like him, he could do anything. 

Barbara was skeptical about people in general at first, not quite as trusting as Dick, but was the most mature out of everyone and would withhold her opinions until they matched with fact. Once she saw what Duke was capable of, she’d be thrilled to have another brain on the team. 

Jason was always a loose cannon on any kind of change. Naturally, he felt betrayed when he returned to Tim’s Robin, and while they’d mostly recovered since, the rivalry still sparked and bitterness occasionally spewed into the split wounds. Because Jason already had his rival and chip on his shoulder, he wouldn’t see any issue with the new guy other than a new brand of meat to harass. 

Cassandra would likely take to him fairly quickly once Barbara made clear approval, but would mostly stay out of his way until he made any efforts of connecting with her. She was easily the most shy of the group when it came to personal lives, but would by no means be off-putting in any way.

Tim could possibly be a little apprehensive to the idea of bringing him on board, given how often Tim felt knocked aside as it was. It didn’t help that he came into the team with Jason challenging and belittling him when he got the chance and once that became acceptable, was forced from his Robin role to make room for Damian. Tim was a passive aggressive kind of angry and while that might create tension, Bruce could deal with it. 

Stephanie was the friendliest aside from Dick and might actually be useful in warming Tim up to the idea of a new teammate. She’d want to befriend him first, because Steph had a need to be liked and would want someone else on her side when they all engaged in verbal scuffles. 

Damian was the one to worry about. He was easily threatened and extremely possessive when he cared about people. If the new guy got more attention than him, all hell would break loose and the transition would be near impossible. Damian never admitted to liking the current dynamic, but he did. The truth was, he was the brother everyone worried about when a new baby was brought home from the hospital.

Figuratively, of course, because he was considerably older than Damian, but he was still new to the game. At least he was taking up his old name and had zero desire to become another Robin. That was an argument to avoid and Bruce was glad to avoid it.

He just hoped they all made a good first impression.

“And in here, you’ll find the rugrats that provide these halls with sound.” Alfred smiled as they stood in front of a door. “When it was just Master Bruce and I the only thing that could be heard was the sounds of my own footsteps.”

He flung the door open to reveal the cluster of young adults from varying age groups. The room was filled with overlapping chatter and everyone seemed to be fighting to get their two cents in. 

“HEY!” Bruce hollered over all the noise. Their conversations faded to silence as they looked at the entryway quizzically. 

He had his hand on the shoulder of a boy no older than 17. He had dark skin, a rounded nose, deep and mysterious eyes, and a toned frame. He stood a few inches shorter than Bruce and looked distinctly like he wanted to crawl out of his skin and be anywhere else at the moment. 

“This is Duke. He’s your new partner.” He said at normal volume.

Duke gave them each a once-over to his best capacity based on the positions they sat in. The youngest was sitting on the top of the couch, glaring at him like he was the meal of the day and was just out of reach. He knew this to be Bruce Wayne’s biological son, Damian, with whom he’d researched to be a former member of the League of Assassins.

And he already hated him. Great.

A pretty blonde girl sat beneath him and had the most welcoming smile on her face if he ever did see one. Her bright eyes glittered and her hair framed her smooth skin perfectly. She gave off a very “perky cheerleader” vibe and was about his age, probably. He didn’t know of her specifically, but figured she’d been the one female Robin and eventual Batgirl for a while. Maybe with her skills, she could help fend off the Demon boy above her.

He must have been looking at her too long, because an Asian boy next to her, who was also his age, was shooting him daggers now too. He guessed this was the pretty blonde’s boyfriend and since everyone was basically a Robin at one point, was currently the Red Robin based on his age. He knew he was currently displeased with him for checking out his girlfriend, but he was most impressed by Red Robin as a whole’s detective skills and hoped he could overlook the misstep to teach him a thing or too.

An ethnically ambiguous girl avoided his gaze shyly. She was intriguing looking with a deep tan in her skin and short-cropped hair that was the color of coffee beans. She was perched on the armrest of the couch and instead looked at her dirty converse sneakers instead. She eventually did make eye contact and shrugged sheepishly and used ASL to express her apologies. He smiled at her in understanding, grateful not to be the only one who felt awkward.

On the opposite armrest, a Hispanic boy with slicked back hair that was shaved on the sides snored obnoxiously. Clearly, he was faking and not afraid to indicate how bored he was by this exchange. He was forcefully nudged by a girl on the floor and only “woke up” when she punched his ankle hard enough. He yelped an obscenity and then gave Duke his best glare. It was half-hearted and not the least bit convincing. Duke knew the wannabe bad boy type through and through.

The girl who hit him sat on the floor, leaning against the couch. She had dark red hair that was swept into a loose ponytail, soft light skin, and eyes the color of sea glass. He knew her to be Barbara Gordon, the police Commissioner’s daughter. Her lips were turned up in what he could almost interpret as a smirk, but her captivating and calculating eyes examined him in a way he could relate to. He knew he was doing the same to them.

A young man lay with his head in her lap, dark hair sprawled in all directions from Barbara subconsciously running her fingers through it. Unlike most of the team, he seemed unabashedly happy, partly to meet him and partly because he seemed like the type of guy who enjoyed being pet like a kitten. Duke recognized him as Dick Grayson from the articles years ago about how his parent’s killer had finally been obtained. He was a lot younger then and now looked about 24/25. Dick waved at him with a smile of his own.

“This is Damian, Stephanie, Tim, Cassandra, Jason, Barbara, and Dick.” Alfred said in the order they were sitting.

“New meat, huh?” Jason, the “bad boy” teased. 

“Play nice.” Bruce growled.

“So, what _Friends_ character are you?” Dick chirped and sat up from Barbara’s lap.

“What?” Duke replied, finally saying something after being silent for so long.

“What character are you?” Stephanie beamed. “We’re flipping channels and saying what characters we all are.”

“Don’t you guys have villains to stop or something?” He offered, because really, when he’d been told he was finally going to meet the team, he expected to find them training 24/7. By the way Bruce explained the training regime, it seemed that’s what he’d be doing; not laying on the couch watching Netflix.

“Thanks, _mom_.” Jason drawled. “I didn’t realize we weren’t allowed to take time from our crimefighting lives to poop.”

“You better not be pooping. Alfred will kill you.” Tim exclaimed and even though it was clearly just an expression, he and Stephanie scooted away from him.

“I didn’t mean…” He paused. “I just mean I’m here to find my parents. Not much else.”

“Oh look, this one has Mother and Father issues. That’s different.” Damian scowled.

“I’m actually the only one here who’s never had Bruce as a parental guardian.” Barbara sighed.

“And her dad’s actually her biological uncle.” Stephanie nodded. "So, she's adopted too."

“The point is, everyone has their shit that we all have to deal with.” The redhead said and though Duke wasn’t positive she fully vetted him yet, her tone was even and sympathetic. “If you don’t take breaks, it’s just going to drown you.”

Each looked at him as someone coming from experience. Even those who glared at him seemed to agree with her on this. Damian was obviously the most severe of the group and here he was palling around with everyone.  

“So, I’m going to ask you again, which _Friends_ character are you?” Dick smiled. “Because I’m a total Rachel.”

Duke laughed. “Wait, what?”

Everyone else laughed too, but Dick was determined to clarify. “Hear me out, hear me out. I’m friendly, bubbly, honest, and I’ve got the best hair.”

“Not to mention your humility.” His girlfriend smirked.

“And you can be Ross.”

“I am _not_ a Ross. I’m a cross between Chandler and Monica and you know it." 

“Suuuuure.”

“Yeah, if anyone’s a Ross, it’s Replacement.” Jason agreed. “He’s the know-it-all. And he actually agrees that they were on a break.”

“THEY WERE!” Tim exclaimed.

“But that doesn’t mean he should have slept with that copy lady!” 

“Oh, as if _you_ have any room to talk about sexually deviant behavior, you _Joey_.”

“Joey gets all the babes and eats a lot. How am I supposed to be insulted by this?”

“Joey should have like 20 STDs at the rate he goes at.”

“Timmy, this is what makes you a Ross.” Dick sighed. 

“I’m Phoebe.” Stephanie broke up the feud. “I’m positive, outgoing, fun--”

“--Blonde as hell.” Damian supplied.

“Fuck off, Demon.” 

“Language!” Bruce hollered and Duke forgot he was still present.

She rolled her eyes. “Damian’s someone everyone hates like Emily or Richard.”

“Whoa!” Barbara spun around defensively. “Do not come at Tom Selleck like that.”

Duke looked at her, confused, when Dick shrugged. “Babs has a thing for Magnum PI.”

She turned to flash him a toothy grin. “He’s right, I do." 

“Never knew you had a thing for older dudes with your dating track record, Barbie.” Jason laughed. “Considering you’re dating a toddler.”

“I’m a year and half younger than her!”

“Spoken like a true toddler.”

“I do not relate to any of these idiots!” Damian exclaimed. “I do not wish to be any of them.” 

“You’re Janice!” Tim chortled. “Annoying and we can’t seem to get rid of you.”

“Damian is not Janice.” Dick defended. 

“Then who is he?”

“Cole Sprouse?”

Everyone laughed while Damian didn’t seem to get that Dick literally named the one child who somewhat consistently appeared on the show.

“Cass can be the more likable lesbian.” Jason offered.

She glared at his teasing to which he shrugged. “What? I said _more_ likable not less! I got you!”

“I’m most like Gunther.”

“You _want_ to be Gunther?” 

“Quiet, mindful, longs from afar.” 

“That’s… Fair.” Tim resigned.

“I’ve never watched it.” Duke finally cut in and everyone’s glares shot to him immediately.

“… Do you not own a TV?” Jason asked.

“I do.” He said slowly and was growing more confused by their shocked expressions. “It’s not my cup of tea.” 

“But you just said you’ve never watched it.”

“I can tell by the ads.” He shrugged. “Is that a problem?” 

“No…” Dick trailed off. “No, I suppose not. Well, what do you watch? _It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia_?”

“No.”

“ _Parks and Recreation_?”

“No.”

“ _Modern Family_?”

“No.”

“ _The Office_?”

“No.”

“ _Bobs Burgers_?”

“Nope.”

“ _Orange is the New Black_?" 

“No.”

“ _Seinfeld_?”

“No.”

“ _Scrubs?”_

“No.”

“ _Rick and Morty?_ ” 

“No.” 

“Do you watch anything?” Tim couldn’t take any more disappointment, clearly. 

“I’m not into comedies.” 

Everyone was silent again and were all clearly processing this information. Dick seemed to recover again from the rejection his list of comedies had received and Duke felt a little guilty for not being open about it before, but then again, he never expected the team to be like this. He didn’t expect real people.

“So, do you watch _Game of Thrones_?”

How much time did they all have on their hands?

“Yes.” He breathed a sigh of relief when everyone relaxed a little. 

“Okay, cool. Who are you?”

Duke looked to Bruce, who was staring at the ceiling as if he were wishing he were 6 feet under. Something told him that they pestered him into answering questions like this all the time.

“The sooner you answer, the sooner this is over.” He grumbled.

“I hope you guys are just as good at interrogating people.” 

“Don’t worry, we are.” Dick grinned.

“Fine, I’m a Tyrion.”

“You’re not that short.” Jason deadpanned and everyone burst into laughter.

Chatter from all fronts ensued including accurate comparisons between Cassandra and Arya Stark or between Dick and Jon Snow. Damian was pissed, because Bruce didn’t let him watch the show. He found that interesting, given how much they’d seen in the field, but he guessed it had to do more with the sexual nature of the show. He seemed to know enough to know who Joffrey was and got very annoyed when Tim accused him of being just like him. He grew angrier when no one immediately jumped to his defense either. Duke grinned in spite of himself and actually joined them on the couch to continue the conversation. The end results concluded that Dick was Jon Snow, Barbara was Daenerys Targaryen (Dick tried to say she was Ygritte because of her red hair and being Jon Snow’s love interest but she didn’t budge), Tim was Bran Stark, Cassandra was Arya Stark, Stephanie was Sansa Stark (which grossed Tim out), Jason was The Hound, and Damian was still Joffrey (he tried scratching everyone). 

“We don’t know you well enough to confirm whether or not you’re worthy of being Tyrion, but we’ll give you a shot.” Dick winked. 

Maybe he’d like it here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could you tell my binge-watching came in handy for this?


	19. Like Looking in a Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason always resented being compared to Dick Grayson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Jason-centric.

“Hey, remember this one? It’s after you came on board and began training with us.” Dick was, of course, referring to a picture of 17 year old Barbara Gordon, 16 year old Dick Grayson, and a freshly 12 year old Jason Todd, all standing in workout gear in the Batcave. Each grinned ear to ear and it was weird to see a time where Jason stood so small in comparison to the two.

“Last time I checked, Goldie, I didn’t ask to see your stupid photo album.” 

“And last time I checked, Jaybird, you did. If you’re gonna pick up a book and make fun of a man’s clothing choices, you’re going to get the full story.” 

Jason groaned and flopped backwards onto Dick’s bed. He’d originally stopped by the manor to pick up his old books that he left behind in his old room. Bruce asked him if he wanted Alfred to gather up his other stuff, but none of it was worth having. His copy of _The Hobbit_ , however, was worth the trip. 

Then again, he was beginning to doubt his decision more and more as the eldest former Robin flipped through memory lane and showed him a large display of memories dating back to his years in the circus. Jason was in some of them, but only a few since it was an older album that ended around the time he left for the Titans.

“I’m sure Alfred has an album made for you somewhere.” He said thoughtfully.

“Doubt it.” He blew loose strands of hair out of his face. “I barely let anymore come near me with a camera back then. Haven’t changed much.”

“Your instagram says otherwise.”

“It’s different when I’m taking them.”

“What? Are you afraid you’ll get your bad side if someone else takes it?” 

“I don’t have a bad side and if I did, I wouldn’t be sitting here a gossiping about it with you.” 

“Your words sting so bad.” Dick replied in a monotonic voice to indicate sarcasm. “What did we do to deserve your wit?”

Jason punched him in the shoulder, harder than Dick would ever hit him, but lighter than he would hit most, and rose to his feet. 

“Before you start breaking out the gooey Christmas cards, I think I’m gonna take off. Mail me the books, okay? I don’t know how much more of this place I can take.”

Surprisingly, Dick nodded in understanding. “Believe me, I completely understand the desire to run for a while.”

“Only my need for freedom came after the betrayal from my family, my subsequent death, brainwashing and painful revival. Not to mention excessive smothering from said family. Yours was after some teen angst.”

“We didn’t…” Dick trailed off and shook his head, deciding it wasn’t worth a fight that would most likely destroy his room if Jason got too heated, which he’d seen numerous times and it was never pretty. He knew there was more to Dick’s departure than that, but whenever he grew uncomfortable, he chose to attempt to get a rise out of people instead of addressing what was really bothering him. 

“Where are you going?” He tried instead.

Jason rolled his eyes, knowing where his older brother’s initial statement was going, but was more frustrated he couldn’t lash out since he decided not to take it there. The Lazarus pit had many adverse effects and a boost in anger was one of the many. Just because it was easier to piss him off didn’t make how he felt less true. Truthfully, he was on excellent standings with his family in comparison to the year before when they were bitter enemies.

He might have been a little extra with the hatred then, but he still maintained a chip on his shoulder at Bruce and to a lesser degree, Dick. With Dick it was more that he wanted to be mad at him for being the epitome of everything Bruce wanted. He wanted to be furious with him for going off with the Teen Titans and becoming his own superhero. He wanted to blame him for everything that happened to him and to Barbara at the hands of the Joker. He wanted to tear him apart for being so damn happy all of the time, because nobody in their line of work should be filled with such glee. He’d lost too much to have that luxury.

However, the reality was, none of it was Dick’s fault really. Outside of being annoying as hell sometimes, Dick was just a kid too and went off to grow up as a normal kid would go off to college. Because of this truth, he only resented him a little bit more than the other Batkids.

He didn’t have any ill will towards Barbara, because she was stronger than any of them and didn’t treat him much differently now than she did before he died. He respected that and her immensely. His disposition towards Tim was unfair and while their rivalry was still present and occasionally volatile, he didn’t hate him just because he was Robin when he returned. It wasn’t right. Damian hadn’t been around through any of it, but the little guy simply annoyed and amused him. Cass barely spoke in general, which he liked and she was Batgirl for him after Barbara’s incident with the Joker. He couldn’t place a reason for it, but every Robin had a special place in their hearts for their corresponding Batgirl. He prided himself on being the only Robin not romantically interested in one (everyone knew Damian had a crush on Stephanie that he would refute until death). 

He looked over at his brother and sighed. “I feel like I should just say “out” like most moody teenagers, but I’ll level with you: I’m forming my own team.”

“So this _is_ like when I left.” Dick grinned in that annoying way that made him want to slap him.

“Before you get all proud that I’m starting a team around the same time you did--”

“—At the exact age I did.”

He punched his arm again, but Dick was laughing gleefully.

“Fuck off.”

“Who’s your crew gonna be?”

“Roy and Kori.”

“You’re starting a team with one of my best friends and my ex-fiancée? Both of which I was on another team with? Are you sure you’re trying to distance yourself from my image? Or are you just trying to start a brigade of redheads? I can see if Wally is available for you if that’s the case. Or maybe Poison Ivy if you’re looking to be edgier.”

“You have a lot of guts! Every girl you’ve fucked has had red hair!”

“Untrue! Zatanna has black hair.” 

“There are always outliers, but let's look at the majority here. Kori, that girl Raya from the circus, that nutcase Cheyenne Freemont, and lest we not forget our very own Barbara Gordon.”

Dick turned a very bright shade of red similar to the hair color of the girls he liked, but Jason deduced it wasn’t because he’d managed to find the obvious pattern in Dick’s romantic past.

“That’s right, genius, I know you and Barbie are doing the horizontal tango and while I know she can do light-years better than you, I suppose you’ve been jumping through hoops long enough to get 15 minutes of fame in the sack with her.”

“Is that douche-speak for you giving me your approval?” He smirked, knowing he didn’t need Jason’s approval to have romantic involvement with anyone, especially Barbara Gordon. However, Jason was around when Dick first left with the Titans and while she did a damn good job disguising it, his being gone broke her heart more than she would ever admit.

“I wouldn’t get too excited there, Dickiebird. You just have a piece of the pie. She could be fucking all of Gotham for all you know and who would blame them?"

“I love her.” Dick said with a sureness Jason never had about anything. It was almost admirable. Almost.

Jason froze for a moment, understanding the significance of this moment from an emotionally developmental standpoint, but then proceeded to cringe at the reality that the ever-mushy Grayson was about to pour his heart out to him, the emotionally (and once physically) dead crackshot. What had this world come to?

"Gross."

“Sorry, I forgot you have the emotional range of a pinhead.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Though the part of him that secretly enjoyed the romance in novels crept through for a moment. He turned to put his helmet back on to avoid having his facial features analyzed. That was expected in their family. 

“You should tell her.”

“Yeah?” He looked at him through curious blue eyes.

“Even if she doesn’t say it back, people like to hear it.” He shrugged. “And between you and me, I've seen the way she looks at you and I'm not sure if you have too much to worry about.”

“Surprisingly sage words from a guy that uses “fuck” in about 75% of the sentences he generates. Maybe you are going soft.”

“I am _not_ becoming you.” He gritted and stood to his feet.

“No, you’re not.” Dick said seriously and stood as well. Jason, at 17 was already a whole head taller than Dick and a whole lot more juiced up as well. Even while physically towering over him, there was something about the older former Robin that just made him seem bigger and older. Jason always chalked it up to the natural flow of confidence he exuded on a regular basis, but right now there was pride in his smile and it wasn’t at himself.

“We disagree on a lot.” He began. “Our methodology, emotions, perspectives, and even our morals can be widely different from each other. But I respect you and I’m proud to call you my brother and my equal. In a lot of ways, you’re way better than I could ever be. I know things with Bruce are never easy and that he compared the two of us a lot, but you’re your own man, Jay and a damn good one at that.

Jason was relieved he had the red helmet on his head, because he felt his eyes burn a little bit and it made him loathe himself more, but the quiet bitterness he harbored towards Dick faded a little. He wasn’t trying to mend bridges or salvage a brotherhood of any kind. The guy was a walking hallmark card sometimes and said the right thing at the right time and it always came from the heart.

Not quite knowing what to say, Jason reached out and clamped Dick on the shoulder and pulled him in for a quick hug (which was essentially an over glorified smack on the back with their chests touching for a few seconds), but it was enough.

“Good luck with the team, Jay.” He beamed.

“Good luck with Barbie.” He nodded in return. “If you hurt her, I’ll break your fingers.”

“I’m pretty sure she’d break them first.”

Jason grinned beneath the helmet. Yeah, she wouldn’t even give him the chance. He didn't say this bit aloud, but she'd better not hurt him either, because as much as happy-Dick could be intoxicatingly annoying and made Jason want to punch him in the mouth, kicked-puppy-Dick was a million times worse.

“Oh wait!” Dick paused and scampered into the next room over and retrieved momentarily with a stack of books. “These are yours.”

“Thanks.”

“If you’re looking for a team name, might I recommend the book on top? I remember you really liked it as a kid.”

Jason glanced down and looked at said book and smiled. 

 _“The Outlaws_ ” by Selma Lagerlof. 

“Not bad.”

Dick was right, he was his own man, but maybe it wasn’t such a terrible thing having some similarities to him.


	20. Baby Princess Curls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all you really need is a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly about Stephanie, but includes some Tim x Steph.

"So, uh, I heard you were pregnant."

Tim and Stephanie's relationship had ended fairly amicably. Well, outside of a scorching fight between the two of them about how she was reckless and never liked to listen to anybody. Of course,  _he_ was referring to Bruce, but  _she_ interpreted the comment as Tim trying to control her. If there was one stallion that could not be tamed it was Stephanie Brown. She was determined of this and broke up with him. This was only the surface issue. They were young and clueless, with zero understanding of how to even maintain a relationship while leading a double life. It hurt in the beginning, but after some intense reasoning, he was able to deduce that they were far too young to be dating and it could result terribly for the team dynamic. Tim was always a logical and pragmatic person, so he went the extra mile to make a possible partnership and eventual friendship easy for the two of them.

In many ways, Steph liked Tim better as her friend than as her boyfriend. He was just as attentive, caring, and loyal, but the layer of pressure was gone and he no longer walked on eggshells the way he used to. It almost pissed her off that Tim would never get mad at her and how he'd let her get away with murder. It was absolutely infuriating and she didn't realize it annoyed her so much until she tried being friends with him and noticed the difference. Tim was too good for her and by the mistake that resided inside her, this was all the more evident. The only thing she could think was to be thankful that she wasn't dragging him down with her. 

"If you're here to ask if its yours, that's physically impossible." She managed to quip. They'd never done anything, of course. They were barely teenagers when they went out. Not that she was old enough to be pregnant now either.

She'd felt she needed someone edgier, someone older and stronger. Her idea of strength was obviously skewed, because the guy who was the other half of this equation had long skipped town and was anything but strong. How she managed to fool herself into believing she held value to him was preposterous to her. She wasn't ready to uproot her life either, but he didn't even respect her enough to look her in the eyes when he told her to get lost. She wasn't sure what she expected of him. Their night together was one of various drunken tumbles that left her empty in the end. Well, she was anything but empty right now and it killed her that Tim was looking at her with such a pained expression.

"No, no... Just wanted to make sure you're okay." 

God, she wished it was his. Not because she desperately yearned for Tim Drake or anything. She hadn't evaluated any feelings about him in a long time. They'd faded to the background of her psyche and almost out of existence altogether. No, she wanted someone like Tim to be the father, because Tim had reason and heart. He'd have an answer and that quiet strength she'd come to notice over the past few years. He wasn't a man, but was well on his way to becoming one. That was certainly better than the empty seat next to her and a head full of answer-less questions.

"I guess as okay as I can be right now." Which she knew wasn't telling in the least bit. She was 16, essentially homeless, and pregnant. 

"Bruce said he was going to help." As if that was supposed to be encouraging. She'd be forced to accept Bruce's charity, but being on the end of such wealth made her skin crawl. It made her feel like she owed him for life. She wondered why her parents raised her thinking she was superior to help, when that's what they needed all along. She chalked it up to pride that only fades when one hits rock bottom. Metaphorically speaking, her butt fell flat on the stone flooring when she saw the positive sign on the home pregnancy test. 

"Yeah." And Bruce would help and while he would never say that he expected anything, this would bond them for life in a way that made her feel significantly less free. Then again, the idea of a baby did that too.

"So..." Tim looked everywhere in her de facto bedroom except at her. "Are you-- I mean, you don't have to choose to do anything now... But, I guess its only sensible to decide if Bruce is buying a crib or a... Doctor's appointment?" 

She opened her mouth to snap back something mean, because that's all she wanted to do at the father of her child, but closed it and suppressed her impulses. Tim wasn't the deadbeat dad and was trying in his own way to express concern.

 _Stop pushing away the people that care_.

"I'll-We'll support you either way." He promised thoroughly. "It's just... And I know it's stupid, because I'm not... You know."

He made a general hand gesture that she assumed was meant to mime being pregnant. "I'm scared for you."

"Don't be." It sounded simple by the way she said it.

"Don't be? Steph you're having a kid, your dad is still running loose, and I don't see the father standing next to you through this!" His reservations were gone and frustration flowed through his words. They weren't venomous like she would have made them, but they weren't kind or gentle either. That's when she could see the disappointment in his eyes. It resembled the night Batman fired her as Robin for disobeying him. When Tim removed his own domino mask, their was this look of both sadness and irritation swirled together to make discouragement. It hurt then, but it burned now. 

"Do me a favor and spare me the riot act there, Robin." She snapped. "I don't need your pity or your concern, because I can see it's all just some big coverup for how you really feel about all of this."

"Because you're such an expert on how I feel. Enlighten me, please." 

"You're disgusted with me for ending up like this. Maybe you're disgusted with yourself for having ever been involved with a girl that wound up being the cliche 16 and pregnant. After all, you're supposed to be a better judge of character than this. You wouldn't dare like someone that makes such trivial mistakes such as wrapping it up or popping a pill. All I know is you have such... superiority in your eyes right now, like you're above me because I got pregnant. How can't you be, though? How when I'm so stupid and weak-minded to fall for some idiot's lies? How when I didn't even plan ahead to any degree? We work in field where if we don't plan we die and I'm as good as--"

Tim stormed forward and covered her mouth with his hand, glowering at her. His hand was hot and almost shaking against her lips and that heat matched the intensity in his stare.

"How the hell could you think that?" His voice was somehow dangerously calm, but it sounded like pressure was building up in his core. 

He didn't let her answer. "This sucks and there's no denying that, but dead? Are you kidding me? Do you know how many people would love to have kids, but can't? So life smacked you down, because you made a mistake. Don't pin your own pent up emotions and views on yourself on me. Yeah, I'm disappointed, Steph, but not for why you think! I'm disappointed that this piece of shit you gave your heart to is running about with the expectation that you take on all of this. I have never looked down at you, not once. Not when you were banned from being Robin and not now. Not ever. I have had nothing but respect for you in my time of knowing you and I _still_ do. You're my partner. So do me a favor and cut this blame game bullshit, because while I am scared, it's because you're my friend and I care about you."

He slowly removed his hand and she didn't respond at first. Her robin-egg eyes that were typically dancing with joy and wonderment were sullen and glassy. He wasn't sure how she could look so young and grown at the same time. She transformed quite a bit from the wild girl with crazy, fluffy blonde hair and mischievous eyes that would enchant anyone passing by. Her laugh once filled the night with such folly and levity, but he couldn't remember the last time he heard it that way in a long time, not since she began seeing this guy she'd been apparently sleeping with. He chastised himself for calling himself a detective and not noticing the significant changes in her demeanor as of recent. He internally beat himself up more as a friend for not noticing how much he missed the carefree Stephanie Brown.

She could feel herself grimace at the removal of his hand. It was a wake up call, that was for sure and sometimes she wished she could just sew her mouth shut to prevent verbal diarrhea. Naturally, he was right about her projecting her emotions onto him. It scared her all the more that they were out there, even as thinly-veiled projections. She actually said she felt having a child was the equivalent to dying for her. 

_So much for not being mean._

"It is kind of like dying in a way." She justified suddenly. Her brain hoped this was going somewhere reasonable.

"Steph--"

"--Look, it's easy for you to say that I've got the greatest gift to give inside me right now, but this unhinges my entire existence. I get to go back to being the outcast loser of the real world and I have to hang up my tights. I lose this life and I have to readjust myself, again, to one that I never felt I belonged in. The whole teenage pregnancy part isn't going to be a breeze either. It's going to be really really hard, especially by myself. And while I accept the help and appreciate it, I'm still the kid's only parent and I've got nothing to go off of, Tim! I have no good parental role models and I haven't lived a life that even borderlines on normal. Spoiler is dead and Stephanie Brown isn't someone I love putting on my reliance on. She got me into this, after all."

Tim wasn't sure what he could do if he had to stop being Robin, because of an accidental pregnancy. It was different for guys, but he'd probably make the sacrifice if Cassie did. Even hypothetically pondering that thought shot a gut-punched feeling to his core. 

"I'm sorry this happened this way." He almost whispered. "I'm sorry you've got to sacrifice so much. But I'm not sorry you're going to be a mother."

"Wh-"

"-Because you are going to be a fantastic mom someday."

"Someday is happening very soon."

"If you keep it."

"I am." She said quietly. 

There was a stillness in the air between them, any anger somehow dissipating. 

Tim breathed in through his nose. "Okay, I volunteer as first class babysitter."

She snorted and it was the first real almost-laugh he'd seen from her in a while. "And what experience do you have?"

"I sometimes babysit Damian."

"Yeah, first of all, he's 11. Secondly, he hates your guts. Last but not least, you guys almost set the manor on fire the other day."

"I'm sure a baby wouldn't do that until its like... 2 or 3?"

"Do you diaper change?"

He scrunched up his nose. "Jason likes gross stuff. I'll leave that to him."

"Jason Todd is coming nowhere near this kid." 

"Probably smart." He popped his lips. "He might see too much of himself in it and go into a self-loathing crisis. I mean the baby will be red-faced, screaming, hungry, pooping itself."

"Add a silver streak of hair and it would be a match."

"You know Dick is going to be all gaga over this kid." He smirked. "You're going to have to fight for time with her."

" _Her?_ "

He blushed a little. "I refuse to believe it'll end up like its father so I keep picturing a girl."

"You really hate him, don't you?"

"You don't?" He looked at her incredulously again and this time she didn't feel a pinch of anger.

She thought about it. "I didn't... At one time. I think I hate myself a bit more for falling for it all."

"Don't." He said simply as she had before. "That's a waste of time, because you're the one who has to live with yourself."

She nodded. "Well, what's a Bat without a little self-loathing?"

"I've been told it's the secret ingredient."

"I hope she doesn't have that." She said softly, but Tim heard her.

"I feel like us second generationers need to make it our duty to make things better for the next group." He looked at her flat stomach. "Besides, this kid will have a lot of love."

"That is a slight improvement from my upbringing."

"Who couldn't love it? It'll be beautiful, Steph. When you meet her and see so much of yourself, but so much of her own personality in there, even for a little infant, it won't seem like dying, but trading, hopefully."

"Yeah?"

"Trading battle wounds for giggles and kisses. Trading fighting for tickling and feeding. Trading adrenaline for love."

"I think you've been talking to Dick a little too much." She smiled still, touched by the sentiment.

"He  _may_ have said some of that to me." 

"Yeah, it sounded a little cheesy. He should work for Hallmark."

He laughed and she rested her hand on her stomach. "It might not be so bad. Curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, unadulterated laughter..."

"She'll look like a princess."

"Or prince."

"Yeah, I'm still thinking you're having a girl."

"I think you want me to."

"She'll have a lot of uncles to protect her." He nodded firmly. "I'll track whoever tried to hurt her down, Dick will lead a strike, and Jason will do the heavy lifting. Damian might get some quick and violent shots in there, too."

"Babs and Cass will be weird aunts." She laughed. "Babs is pretty motherly, but Cass might interpret "bonding" as "sparring" most of the time."

"Someone will teach her. It's inevitable."

After talking about her unborn child like he or she (Tim was mighty convinced about the girl part) existed instead of an idealistic fear that approached over the horizon, Stephanie began to feel a bit better about it. She would miss the superhero world more than anything, but what she and Tim discussed was pretty great. Then, she thought about how when Babs got hurt she didn't throw in the towel of her involvement in crimefighting. She took what was dealt to her and made the very best of it. That's all she could do and if she could bring a beautiful baby into this world and be the parent she needed as a kid, in addition to all the promised help she would receive, it sounded alright to her.

When Tim left that night and she looked at her flat stomach in the mirror, she noticed she'd been smiling. She never knew it was possible to grow to love something not yet here.

But it was.

* * *

 

When she lost the baby after a freak car accident, otherwise leaving her unharmed, her newfound attachment for the little thing made it all the harder. She hadn't realized how much she wanted princess curls, chubby cheeks, and laughter until the dream was gone like that, but at the hands of a gruesome nightmare. Fate spoke and sure, it made it very clear she wasn't having a child soon and while she would have felt relieved before, she couldn't help but mourn the love she wanted to give and the little person she built in her head. 

Tim was there when she came home from the hospital.

She cried. He hugged her.


	21. Christmas in July (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian's missed quite a few holidays in his first 11 years of life, but Dick is determined to make up for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of two!

It all started so innocently.

He and Grayson had been enjoying an afternoon that had become very typical for the two of them since Father had decided it best that Damian live with Grayson while he was under scrutiny for business with the League. It wasn't the  _good_ kind of League either, the one where his mother, his Father's one true love, was. No, it was the motley crew of super-powered baboons that depended on Batman's intellect for guidance. The only one he had any degree of respect for was Wonder Woman and that was because she was the only one that didn't appear to have a headcase full of acorns. That, and she'd more than earned his Father's respect, which he felt merited his own acceptance of her existence as a hero. Anyway, they'd somehow gotten Father into some inter-galactic trouble ( _Probably that imbecile, Jordan -tt-)_ , which required almost his full attention. This meant Grayson was playing Batman and while he was apprehensive to this at first (he'd attempted to attack him multiple times), he begrudgingly began to like the 21 year old and his take on the Bat. 

Damian didn't like to share much personal information with anyone and was taught against it while brought up by the League of Assassins. His grandfather taught him how to give tiny bits of useless information that made the enemy feel as though they were in the know without really giving anything away at all. Bruce Wayne never required much information unless it was imperative to a mission of some sort and never asked for emotional repercussion. He was a lot more like the great Ra's Al Ghul than he'd ever like to admit, for reasons Damian simply couldn't wrap his head around. 

Dick Grayson, on the other hand, was  _all about feelings_. Dick loved to voice anything he could and how he felt about it, quite passionately, he might add. He wasn't just an excessive and exuberant speaker, but boy, did he love to listen. He'd poke and pride about Damian's interests, hobbies, thoughts, and worst of all, his feelings. He'd grown somewhat accustomed to sharing a bit more than what he'd been taught with Grayson, because he was a fairly easy person to talk to, no matter how annoyingly positive he always seemed to be. Though honestly, it was significantly less annoying on him than it would be on anyone else. Damian was certain he'd murder just about anyone else.

So, in his attempt to play along with Grayson's desire to share, Damian pointed in curiosity at a new model of ninja throwing knives in a magazine he was flipping through.

"Grayson!" He perked up and looked over his shoulder at the young man that was sprawled across the couch lazily. No one mastered the art of appearing relaxed better than him.

"What's up, Lil D?"

Choosing not to scoff at the nickname, he continued. "I request to have these new knives for Christmas. They are significantly sharper and more aerodynamic than the set I already possess. It's only logical that you obtain them for me to both better my training and improve the quality of direction the team is heading in."

"Most kids just write a list, but you've got the whole "asking a million days in advance" thing down." He chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Christmas is in December, Dami. That's 5 months away!"

He felt himself turning a bright shade of red. He'd watched plenty of children request presents from their parents for Christmas on the mediocre sitcoms Grayson made him sit through and never put together the time period of which they were asking. He just assumed people spent the entire year generating ideas for what to purchase or make an individual for the holidays, but apparently their was a slim window of opportunity in order to guarantee possession of what one wanted. 

"I'd only ever heard of it." He defended. "The League did not have such childish traditions."

Grayson's smile vanished immediately as if he'd caught Damian trying to attack Drake in his sleep (again). Except, he didn't appear mad at Damian, just distressed and maybe confused about how to approach this situation. Then, in a typical Grayson manner, popped right back to smiling in a way that would make all therapists scratch their heads in wonderment. It was ridiculous how quick the original Robin could bounce back.

"You're not in the League anymore." He grinned.

Damian wasn't sure how that was supposed to make him feel any better, but it wasn't long before Dick launched himself into explaining a full and elaborate plan (with precision and detail only someone trained by Batman could acquire) about how he was going to bring Christmas to the summer for Damian, including all of the traditions they usually follow at the actual time of year. He knew this was physically impossible, but there was no room for him to edge his opinion in. It seemed as though the more he talked, the more excited and convinced he became that this  _had_ to be done. 

"Why not just wait?" He wanted to whine, but observed this tactic utilized frequently by Todd. It never went anywhere.

"Because this way, when actual Christmas comes, you'll be prepped and ready."

He was going to hate this.

When Dick hadn't mentioned his idea for a few days, Damian silently hoped this was just one of those ridiculous "dreams" he sometimes decided to tell him about. Interesting, but not worth actually pursuing in reality. However, unfortunately for him, he'd overheard him discussing the matter in private whenever he got the chance to be away from him. Some sounded more enthusiastic than others.

* * *

 

Dick rarely got to sneak up on Barbara Gordon, given her constant awareness of her surroundings and knack for detail, not to mention her high security settings, but he finally got that opportunity when she was highly engrossed in directing a mission for the Birds of Prey. Acting as Oracle for the evening, Babs was hunched over her computer station, glasses on, hair thrown up in a messy bun, and hands only leaving her keyboard when she was going for the umpteenth sip of coffee for the night.

"Guess who." He placed his hands over her glasses when things had noticeably calmed down on her end as far as the mission had gone. 

She jumped a little, but her fist flew to her heart instead of his groin, which he suspected would have been the case had she not immediately recognized his voice. 

"Jesus Christ, Nightwing, you scared the shit out of me!" She turned her face away from his hands and glared at him.

"Sorry, almighty Oracle." He bent down and pecked the tip of her nose. "I have some imperative information for you though. Are you through with the girls for the night?"

Her gaze straightened. "Yeah, things are slowed for the night. How long have you been here?"

"Black Canary managed to diffuse a hostage situation and Huntress extinguished Firefly for the time being."

"Dick!"

"I didn't want to interrupt!"

"So call!"

"You said not to call while you're online as Oracle."

"Text!"

"I  _know_ you have an automated message system for when you're busy. It's buggy and never properly responds to my emoji usage."

She huffed, clearly frustrated by the box he placed her in and crossed her arms. "I'll never need to give you a key to my place since you're apparently capable of slipping past my security."

"You can slip through my window anytime."

Babs rolled her eyes. "What's this all about Creep Wonder?"

"Not necessary." He pouted. "And Damian Wayne has never experienced Christmas."

She nodded as if she was waiting for the true reveal of information and when it didn't come, she gave him a crossed look again, both of confusion and annoyance. 

"Wow, the trained assassin never believed in Santa Claus. Color me surprised."

"Babs, I want to do something for him, something big. I want to recreate Christmas, but in July. All of it. Christmas carols, cookies, Alfred's cooking, decorations, presents, family time... Mistletoe."

For the first time that night, the crease in her brow smoothed out and the beginning of a smile danced on her lips. "That's so sweet, actually."

"You say that like I'm never sweet."

"No, you're very sweet most of the time, but this is especially touching."

"This way when real Christmas comes, all the kinks will have already been ironed out."

"Dick, before you continue with this, I think you should maybe try your best to stay... Level through it all. I know you've been shooting for a perfect Christmas since we were kids, but--"

"--I don't want Damian to have to wish for that. I want it to just... Happen like it used to for me." 

She stood to her feet and placed her hands on his chest, thumb running across the blue Nightwing symbol. Dick was always excellent at appearing incredibly young and old at the same time. These years wore him down like they did the rest of him, only he worked extra hard to maintain the appearance of positivity and optimism that everyone expected from him at this point. She knew there was a lot more to him than that and that he was actually quite sad about more than she wished. She knew the possibility existed that some or all of the other members would do something to mess this up for him, even inadvertently, but she'd be there if and when that happens. 

"Okay."

"Okay? So can I set a place for you?" He took her hand in his gloved one and kissed her knuckles.

She grinned. "Yes, Nightwing, I'll come to your pseudo Christmas dinner in the effort to establish some level of normal childhood into your crazy assassin little brother. The question is: what does a girlfriend get her boyfriend for a fake occasion as fine as this?"

Placing his hands on her hips and pulling her closer, he returned her grin with a devilish one of his own and honed in on her mouth. "I'm sure we can work out an exchange of some sort."

* * *

 

"So let me get this straight..." Jason pinched the top of his nose. Something told him he should have ignored Dick's call. "You're training the kid for  _Christmas_. You realize even for you this is pretty stupid, right?"

"I don't know if you've guessed this, but the League of Assassins wasn't exactly a warm and fuzzy place. They've never celebrated anything outside of the Demon's Head's birthday and I'm fairly sure that still included a lot of blood and murder. Damian's still a kid and I want to instill at least a little bit of childhood into him."

"I lived on the streets in the beginning of my life and when I joined, you took off with your own team." 

"I..." Dick sighed and was tempted for a moment to take the bait and argue with him, but decided against it. "Look, I know you didn't have an easy childhood. I don't think any of us have--"

"--Ha! Okay rich boy--"

"-- _But,_ we can't change anything about that. I know it's pulling teeth getting you to stop by for actual Christmas--"

"--Because literally no good has come out of it for any of us. You're the only one who pushes for the celebration. Even Alfred's moved on to Easter gatherings instead."

"I want it to be better!" He closed a metaphorical door of pain before he let himself get carried away. "We can learn from our mistakes and from the past and work to make it better and easier for the younger guys. Isn't that what it's all about?"

Jason grunted in response.

"Besides, you did miss my birthday."

"Because we were trying to kill each other!"

"You were trying to kill  _me_. I don't kill, remember?"

"Tell that to Blockbuster."

Silence.

Dick was never quiet.

"Fine." He spoke finally and his words sounded completely absent of their usual perkiness. "Don't bother. Enjoy your regular Saturday afternoon doing whatever it is you do on your own. Fuck a hooker, smoke a blunt, kill a lowgrade criminal. It doesn't matter. Just keep looking after yourself and drowning in your own self-loathing. It's what you're good at."

Jason groaned. "Are you sure you're not Catholic? Or gifted with the super power of guilt? Because you're getting pretty good at it."

"So...?"

"I'm not wearing anything festive."

"But you love red!" A bit of cheer returned in his voice and Jason had enough of this conversation.

 _Click_.

* * *

 

"Why would I want to attend a party for someone that hates my guts? Much less get him anything for this."

"Timmy, come on, you were new once. Come to Christmas in July, the newest and greatest sensation created by yours truly."

"Yes, and I never tried to poison anyone."

"That was a one time thing."

"Twice!"

"... I didn't know about the second time."

"Look, I know he's the little brother you never had--"

"--You're my little brother too. So is Jason. Damian is just my littlest brother and still stands somewhat of a chance at achieving a normal holiday memory. I think we all deserve this."

"Nothing is ever normal with this family."

"And while I see that, I don't get why we can't try to do better."

"You do this every year."

"Do what?"

"Get yourself all hyped up about Christmas only to have all your expectations shattered. I don't get how you love it so much still after all the disappointment."

Dick didn't answer that, but his demeanor sagged slightly at the blow. "It'll be fun."

"I'm pretty sure the little devil doesn't even want this Christmas thing, does he?"

"How can he know what he wants if he's never experienced it? Bruce wants Damian to go to school and know how to be a regular kid, but hasn't done anything to actually let him be a kid and this is an opportunity to do so."

Tim sighed as they finished suiting up. "I think the sentiment is cool, Dick, but I just don't see it working. Jason will never come, for one thing."

"I guilted him into it."

"Really? Maybe he's going soft."

"I've been saying that." He smiled. "Please, Tim? Alfred already said he would cook something great and its a chance to get presents and drink eggnog in the summer. You can bring your new girlfriend if you want."

"I'll come. By the way, the idea of Christmas in July has been around for a while... You didn't invent it."

"Shut-up."

* * *

 

 **Dick** : Hey Cass, just texting to see if you wanted to come over this Saturday for Christmas dinner.

 **Cass** : It is July.

 **Dick** : It's sort of a Christmas-themed party for Damian since he's never done the Christmas thing before.

 **Cass** : That is quite kind of you.

 **Dick** : Thank you! Are you coming to hang?

 **Cass** : Is Alfred cooking?

 **Dick** : Yes.

 **Cass** : Do I get presents?

 **Dick** : Yes.

 **Cass** : Do I have to wear the ugly sweater you got me last year?

 **Dick** : Yes!!!! Everyone is supposed to dress like it's Christmas time.

 **Cass** : But it is 90 degrees out.

 **Dick** : I'll crank up the AC.

 **Cass** : Fine. I'll come.

 **Dick** : YAY!!!!!!!!

* * *

 

"Come on, Steph, no way should you be the hardest to get!" Dick whined as he stood outside her bedroom, door having recently been slammed in his face. 

"Let's see, Damian has done nothing but torture and harass me since he's come along, Jason is a moody asshole who will inevitably ruin this for you, my ex boyfriend is bringing his girlfriend, and... Admittedly I can't think of any issues with Babs or Cass right now."

"So hang out with them the whole time!"

"Oh please, Babs will be cleaning up your sad ass when this all falls apart."

"Why does everyone keep saying I'm going to be a mess?"

"Because you always get it into your head that Christmas is going to perfect or whatever, which it never is and never will be, and are then crushed when the trainwreck that is our family burns that all to hell."

"I'm doing this for Damian, not for me." 

"Sure."

"It's true!"

"Does Bruce even know you're doing this?"

"You know he's in space somewhere. I don't think they get the same cell coverage there."

"I get that you always want to pull us together as a family the way Bruce never has, but it's lame and I'd say were past that potential point in our lives."

"But Damian isn't! And you're never too old for family."

"Please sound  _more_ like a lame greeting card. It really works."

Dick let out a puff of air, defeated. "I know Damian hasn't been nice to you... At all. And he doesn't deserve your kindness in return, but it would really mean a lot to me if you came."

"Admit you're doing this for you."

"Maybe I'm doing it for me AND Damian. And all of us. One of my best friends died around last Christmas and I went off the deep end about it, Jason refused to come to dinner and ended up trying to shoot up the manor, Babs was dating someone else, Tim wasn't speaking to me because I pushed him out of the Robin image and Damian into it, Cass disappeared, and you were dealing with all that business involving..." He didn't finish his sentence, choosing not to discuss her teenage pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage, but left it into the air for her to interpret.

"We've had a really rough year, but things are better now. Damian's not trying to kill everybody, Jason doesn't completely hate our guts, Tim has grown into his own, you're more independent than ever, Cass is back and--"

"--You and Barb are fucking."

" _Dating_."

"And fucking."

"C'mon, Steph, please? For me?"

There was silence from behind the door before she came out. "Fine. I'll try to make it."

He smiled. "That's all I ask."

* * *

"Hey Bruce, just calling... Again, might I add, to invite you, again, to the Christmas dinner we've got going on this Saturday. I know you're busy with the League and all this Doomsday business. I know you've got your Batgloves full of world-ending possibilities and you're worried enough as is, but I think it would be important if you showed up... If you could. If not, Dami will understand the way I always did.. The Bat takes precedence, right?" He laughed lightly and he knew he wasn't very convincing.

"I had Babs hack your phone though and it doesn't even seem like you're in space so you should totally be getting my messages. I don't know what's up. I'm sure it's important. Remember you can always let me in if you want. I know you won't, but you can."

"Everyone's telling me I'm not doing this for the reasons I said I was. No one's said I'm being selfish, not even Jason, but I know some of them are thinking it. I don't know why Christmas has always been important to me... Well, I do know, but I don't know why I set myself up for a letdown. Everyone else seems to see very clearly that this isn't going to work and that I'm going to be super disappointed not once, but twice this year. Maybe they're right and I know this isn't exactly your methodology of how to teach Damian or even raise him, but I think this is a good idea."

There was another pause.

"I don't know why you're so much easier to talk to when it's just a voicemail, but it's true. Well, I better get back to planning. Alfred's keeping me out of the kitchen and rightfully so, because we all know how Christmas was ruined when I was 15 and I do not intend on repeating those mistakes again. I'll talk to you later. Maybe."

 


	22. Christmas in July (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most wonderful time of the year except in record breaking heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of two!

When he came downstairs Saturday morning, Damian's eyes bugged out in a combination of horror and utter disbelief, because every square inch of the downstairs of Wayne Manor was littered in Christmas paraphernalia. It looked like Pier 1 Import threw up inside the family room, ballroom and kitchen area. A lot of the decorations appeared homemade, however, with the stockings serving as an example. There was a stocking for everyone, even Father. he grimaced at the fact that the fireplace was on despite the 90 degree weather. He glanced at the thermostat and noticed Grayson had it pre-set to temperatures suitable for Mr. Freeze to counteract any discomfort. The most obnoxious decor of all, of course, was the gigantic tree that almost touched the ceiling. He wasn't even going to bother to ask how Grayson got that through the front door, because if he was nothing else, he was persistent. 

He wrinkled his brow at its bareness. He figured Grayson would have stayed up all night decorating the damn thing. 

As if he could read minds, he appeared from around the corner, donning a blue Christmas sweater with who Damian presumed to be Santa Claus and his elves all over it. A Santa hat was plopped on his head and a wreath around his neck, though he figured that was only a temporary addition to his wardrobe. 

"You look like a fool." 

"Hush, I've got one for you too." He beamed and tossed him a smaller sweater that was green with a reindeer who had a bright red nose.

"Why is the nose red?"

"That's Rudolph!"

"Does he have a cold?"

Grayson laughed whole-heartedly. "Something like that. If you think you're getting out of watching Christmas movies before everyone comes over, you're sadly mistaken."

"You mean this is an all day affair?"

"Day, night, and morning!" He chirped happily and removed the wreath from his head to hang it. "Why? Do you have a Halloween party or something?"

"Hallow- Nevermind. No, I did maybe want to get some of my work in--"

"--Nonsense! Today is an honorary holiday, Dami. You've got to do it up right." He turned to check on Alfred in the kitchen. 

Damian had to do something.

* * *

Aside from Father, he went to the one other person Grayson might listen to. As much as their relationship puzzled him at times, Gordon had a hold on Grayson that Damian couldn't understand. He still wasn't positive the genius hadn't managed to slip a mind-controlling microchip into his coffee, because there were many instances where all she had to do was send a simple text message and he was out the door in a moment to go to her. What she could possibly have over him to get him to be that eager was both baffling and somewhat amusing to him. He respected good control when he saw it.

"--And that's why I've come to the conclusion that Grayson is losing his mind." He breathed after his lengthy explanation as to why he decided to sneak through her window at 7 in the morning, causing her security system to go off and almost electrocute him. He had great respect for a system he couldn't detect as well. 

Gordon stared at him calculatingly behind black framed glasses, teetering between amusement and moderate irritation. She bit her lip as though she was trying to figure out the proper way to articulate her thoughts, but clearly decided on saying something.

"I know he comes off a little strong..." She began carefully.

"Tt-- A  _little_? Gordon, he's insisting I watch mind-boggling animations of talking animals and a fat man who breaks into people's houses. It's preposterous and unrealistic beyond measure."

"You didn't say any of this to him, did you?"

"Well, he'd be pretty stupid if he didn't already realize this, right? I presume he gets some level of entertainment out of it, even if it's nostalgic."

"A lot of Christmas is about nostalgia." She explained. "And for Dick... Nostalgia is almost all of it, because memories are all he really has as far as good Christmas's go."

"I don't understand. He's obsessed with it. He's making me drape lights and shiny balls on an oversized tree, buy presents for everyone, bake! I do not bake!"

"Neither should he." Gordon muttered and then reverted back to her cautious tone. "Listen, I know it's hard to believe, but Dick  _is_ doing this for you--"

"-- But I don't want any of this!"

"Maybe you don't want it, but you might  _need_ it. We all might. Even if we don't, he definitely does. And frankly, I think we deserve to give that to him. Dick is far from perfect, but he's never stopped trying and wants to make things better for this entire group. It's stupid to knock him for that."

Damian was silent. Tactically, a raise in morale could benefit everyone altogether. Perhaps, this plan wasn't entirely for the enjoyment of tomfoolery.

"Why were his Christmas's bad?" He finally asked and Gordon's eyes flickered to a sullen stare.

"His parents were killed near the holidays." She said quietly. "Instead of letting himself wallow like most people who experience loss do, he tries to overdo it and hype himself up. His parents made Christmas perfect from what he's told me and Bruce..." Her stare turned steely and if he wasn't mistaken, slightly bitter.

"Bruce never held up in that department. Maybe he never knew how, maybe Dick's overzealousness made him more depressed during the holidays, but he was conveniently _never_ around on Christmas, even if he promised. And it crushed Dick every single time."

"You dare speak ill of my father?" He snapped.

She furrowed her brow. "Watch yourself, baby bird. I think you, perhaps better than anyone, knows your father has a tendency to be absent in emotionally exhausting scenarios."

"Being Batman comes first." He answered quickly. 

"No, being a father should." Gordon was just as quick and red hot about it. Clearly, she'd been around for several of these "absences" and never quite forgave Father for it. Damian did know how his father could be, but understood the importance of his position and wasn't as emotionally compromised as the others, at least he thought so. 

She released a heavy breath. "Anyway, Damian, for the love of God, just do the whole thing. Wear the geeky sweater, watch the movies, decorate the tree, eat the cookies, indulge him on the prospect of Santa Claus and his reindeer... Just, try. Dick is really not that hard to please."

"Then how come he's yet to have a good Christmas since the death of his parents?"

"Someone always messes it up." She shrugged. "Outside or inside the house."

Damian nodded. "So this will make Grayson... Happy?"

"And even though you want everyone to think you're an emotionless ragdoll, I know you want that too."

"I..." He sighed. "I suppose I can give him this one day."

* * *

And he did. Damian tried his best to appear as interested as possible in Grayson's antics, no matter how ridiculous. He didn't completely hate the movies, particularly the claymation ones, because Grayson showed him how they were made with the creepy elf on a shelf dolls. They dressed the tree in beautiful and elaborate decorations as per requested by Alfred and Damian was actually proud of the work they'd done. He thought they were finished until his older brother handed him a golden star.

"There's no more room."

Grayson threw Damian over his shoulder and began climbing up the ladder. "Oh yes there is."

"Grayson! Unhand me or I will stick this star--"

"-- On the top of the tree?" He smirked as he held him up so he could reach the very tip of the tree.

Confused by this interaction, he looked down at him. "You are such a geek."

He still placed the star in its proper place to complete the ensemble.

Music blared through the entire house ranging from choir music to annoying pop songs that seemed obsessed with the idea of kissing someone under a piece of leaf. Speaking of said leaf, Damian was not blind and noticed the little sprig sticking out from the back pocket of Grayson's khaki pants. He gagged of the thought of being corny enough to attempt that with another human being. 

"What time is everyone coming over?"

"6." He smiled. "Damian, I'm so glad you're coming around to all of this. I'm having a really fun time with you."

"I... am not having a terrible time either." He agreed with a simple nod. Honestly, having fun doing odd things with Grayson wasn't surprising for him. It was the addition of the rest of the crew that worried him. Gordon sounded pretty severe in her ominous words about how previous Christmas's have been destroyed one by one by somebody. It was clear she didn't want that to be the case this year and neither did Damian. Otherwise, all the hard work he put in today would have been all for naught. 

* * *

Drake, the charlatan excuse for a Robin, was the first to show up alongside a tall girl with bright blonde hair and large innocent-looking eyes. She appeared like a baby doll and Damian did not like it. He preferred women to be strong and domineering, practically no different from men with the exception of anatomy. 

"This is Cassie."

"We have a sister named Cass. Is this why you're dating her?" He sniggered.

Drake shot him a glare as Cassie, also known as Wonder Girl, gave him a side eyed look. 

"I hope you get coal for Christmas." He spat.

"Why would anyone purchase coal, you pitiful mule?"

"May I take your coats?" Alfred approached cooly to deflate the tension.

"Al, with the humidity it's like 93 degrees out." Drake deadpanned. "I don't need a coat."

"It's freezing in here, though." Cassie mentioned.

"I don't believe anyone asked you." Damian had a hard time believing any smart girl would be interested in Drake. So, it was hard for him to like her, even if she was in some relation to Wonder Woman.

"Dick!" Drake whined to Grayson, who was already on his third Bailey's Irish cream. 

"Dami, come on, play nice. The others will be here soon."

* * *

Cassandra must have slipped through one of the upstairs windows, because suddenly she was just there in the living room with them and not soon enough in Damian's opinion. Grayson was checking on the food with Alfred and that left him alone with Drake as he made kissy face with his bimbo of the week.

"Would you get a room?" 

"You can leave." Drake snapped.

"You wish."

"You're right, I do."

"Stop it." Cassandra was standing over them, dark eyes glaring at them. "This is nice. Do not ruin."

It amazed everyone how she could say so much by saying so little, but Damian rightfully felt like a kicked puppy and Drake took his lips off Cassie's to get some air and just watched  _"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"_ in peace.

Cassandra sat on the floor beside Damian and hooked up an old video game system onto a smaller screen on the other side of the room.

"We play every year."

He didn't argue with that and partook in the poorly designed folly of racing a car driven by what appeared to be a frog and a little mushroom head.

* * *

Brown was half drunk when she came downstairs to join the party. He'd told Grayson numerous times that the teenager had a private stash of alcohol in her room and he refused to search on account that Damian evidently had no business being in her room. Also, he was fairly sure Grayson had committed the same offense once or twice, especially if these previous Christmas's were just as horrid as Gordon made them sound. 

Cain helped her the remaining distance down the long and winding stairs.

"You came." She said surprised.

"I came." She sighed and her eyes flickered to Drake and Cassie, who resumed using the couch as their own kissing booth. She rolled her eyes.

"Where's Santa Dick?"

"That sounds wrong." Drake perked up from his makeout session to call out.

"Kitchen." Cain answered simply. "Alfred too."

"Well, thank God for that. Barb's told you about what happened years ago, right? He almost burned the damn place down."

"I guess that year was his fault then." Damian wondered aloud. 

"Yeah, all else was perfect, except ya know, Bruce, and he managed to almost kill himself on accident."

"Curse." Cain suggested.

"Some people just have really bad luck." Brown muttered and looked back over to Drake. "And some think they're getting lucky, but totally aren't. It's a cycle."

"Shut-up!"

"Your hearing aid in or what?" She said wryly. "Because I'd think you'd be a little more focused like that... I remember you being a little more--"

"--Coffee, now." Cain pushed Brown into the kitchen too.

Grayson turned to greet them. "Steph! What's up?"

"Drunk." She confirmed.

"Me too!" He giggled and held up another drink. "No mistletoe for you though, young lady."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I'll try to resist kissing my honorary siblings."

* * *

Gordon arrived a bit late on account of needing to finish up work, but wore a Christmas sweater of her own and a skirt as she allegedly promised. She held several bags and set them near the Christmas tree. Everyone stood to hug and greet her, even Damian nodded at her respectively. Grayson stumbled from the kitchen with a goofy smile on his face upon seeing her.

"My girl's here!" He announced with his arms in the air. "Now it's a party."

He tugged the mistletoe from his back pocket and held it over her head. "Rules are rules, Babs."

"You don't need a plant to get me to kiss you, you drunk dork." She laughed, but obliged and stood on her toes to meet his mouth. 

When they separated, she licked her lips for a moment. "Jesus, Boy Wonder, how much Irish cream have you sucked down?"

"Quite a much."

"Mhmm." She took his present drink from him and finished it off. "No more for you. You want to actually remember this day, right?"

"Well, considering I didn't see a present with my name on it, how can't I?" He pouted.

She cocked an eyebrow at him suggestively. "Oh believe me, I've got it. Don't you worry."

His eyes twinkled and he mumbled something along the lines of "I love Christmas" before kissing her again. Everyone purposely made disgusted noises with the exception of Brown, who always marveled at their romance as a sort of goal in life almost. To have someone love her the way Grayson loved Gordon and likewise was admirable to her. Damian pitied her for having such low morale. That's why they all needed Christmas.

* * *

Todd was unsurprisingly, the last to arrive, and wore a plain white t-shirt that read "Bah Humbug" in bold letters.

"God, you love to be an ass, don't you?" Grayson laughed, but hugged him anyway.

"Drunk Dick is out to play, huh?" 

"I'm sure we'll be hearing Babs say something along those lines tonight." Brown teased and Gordon elbowed her sharply in the stomach.

"Ladies, ladies, don't fight. There's enough of me to go around!" Todd grinned. "Unless you want to fight  _under_ me."

"A million Christmas miracles couldn't make that happen." Gordon quipped before hugging him.

"Everyone's here." Alfred said in surprise, but he was more surprised at the lack of tension in the room. It was there, of course, but nobody was trying to commit any known crimes, which was always an improvement over most gatherings.

"Bruce never answered." Grayson's voice was flat and Damian felt himself tense up as he glanced to Gordon, who's hand was already rested on his arm, ready to console him if need be. 

"Master Bruce certainly does not have much of an aptitude for being Bruce Wayne during the holidays." He said it like it was a shame though.

Grayson perked up a bit as they all sat down around the table. He took the head spot, where Bruce would normally sit, with Damian and Gordon on either side of him. He stood to raise his glass.

"That's okay, though, because being in this family is alot about making the best out of the worst. We've had a bad year. I'm not going to deny that. We've had a bad few years, actually, but we're here, we're together, and we've still got tomorrow. For me, that's the greatest gift of all."

"God, what a cheeseball." Todd murmured and Gordon gave him the elbow treatment.

"To family and to Damian's first Christmas experience." He beamed at everyone and everyone sipped their drinks and began to feast.

* * *

 

The night was much more mellow than he'd predicted. After dinner, they exchanged gifts. Damian got everyone weapons or devices he felt would improve their abilities and while he received some stuff of this caliber from the others (Gordon got him the knives he wanted), predominantly he received gag gifts (a whoopie cushion from Todd and some actual coal from Drake), gift cards (from Cain and Brown), and oddly sentimental gifts (Grayson made him a photo album). He surprisingly enjoyed watching everyone's eyes bulge out in surprise (or laughter) from what they opened. Almost everyone pranked Todd to his delight, Cain received clothes and her weapons of choice, Brown received a bunch of records and blu rays, Grayson a bunch of high end hair product, Drake some technical books, and Gordon got various forms of tech (and a necklace from Grayson). 

Anytime a spat of any kind began to grow out of hand, either he or Gordon stepped in accordingly. She was quiet and startling while Damian typically jumped right to threatening bodily and psychological harm. Todd and Drake were the most admonished (even Cassie was tired of all the mistletoe placing from Drake). Alfred was more subtle in that he just brought out cookies and instructed they stuff them in their mouths instead. Grayson noticed the tension at times, but was typically swayed away by the promise of more cookies. Music played at a much softer level now and he swore it even looked like it was snowing outside. He shot a look back to Grayson, who smiled sleepily.

"I got a snow machine."

Todd shot up. "Let's go then! I bet I can kick your ass in football still."

The teams had been Todd, Gordon, Cain and Brown vs Grayson, Drake, Cassie, and Damian. They didn't stand a chance against the other team even with Cassie's superpowers (Damian insisted having both Gordon and Cain on the same team was unfair alongside Todd's brute strength, but Grayson didn't listen). He didn't quite mind losing as they tackled each other in the snow, which was more than satisfying in contrast to the humid Gotham night. They were supposed to be playing two hand touch according to Alfred, but that disappeared whenever Todd went after anyone with the ball.

He wished the game was closer, but before long Grayson started a full-on snowball war, which resulted in them all becoming soaking wet and needing to be dried in front of the fire. 

They all ended up sprawled out in front of the fireplace, all fairly toppled over each other out of bloating and satisfaction. Everyone's eyes grew heavy as they all reflected on their favorite Christmas memories. Todd favored Christmas on the road, apparently, Gordon referenced one when she was 7 and her Dad didn't have to work, Drake liked deducing Santa wasn't real when he was 5, Brown claimed there was a time when Cluemaster wasn't up to his tricks, Cain smiled at Gordon which implied the redhead had a lot to do with helping her enjoy Christmas, and Damian didn't have much else to go off of and never experienced it in December, but this one seemed pretty nice.

"What's yours, Grayson?" Damian finally asked.

He yawned, resting his chin on Babs' shoulder and pulling her closer while she sat comfortably in his lap.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes."

"This one, then." He smiled. 

Nobody, not even Todd, commented and instead all fell into a quiet slumber until slowly rising to go to bed. Gordon tugged Grayson by the hand up the stairs to follow her, his mumbling sleepily about how she was on the naughty list.

She snorted, eyes thick with sleep, "You're not getting your present if you don't let me get sleep."

Todd threw a passed out Brown over his shoulder and deposited her onto her bed before drifting across the hall into the room he typically slept in when he visited. Cain decided to stay on the couch, her stubbornness evident and grouchiness at its peak. Drake tried to sneak Cassie off to his room, but was blocked by Alfred and the two were promptly placed in separate rooms.

"Dick and Babs are in the same room!"

"They are of the age of consent, Master Timothy. And by how tired Master Richard looked, I doubt they'll be doing anything outside of well earned rest."

Damian vaguely remembered being picked up and placed in his bed. He assumed it was Grayson or even Todd if he was feeling nice, but was surprised to wake up and find his Father fast asleep in a chair across the room, wearing a Christmas tie no less. 

How or why it happened he didn't know. Santa Claus was a ridiculous thing to believe in at any age, but he knew Grayson would say it was something of a Christmas in July miracle.

Maybe he wasn't wrong. Not completely. 

 

 

 

 


	23. Superherpes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenge sexual activity never goes as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really NSFW outside of some language and lightly referenced events, but again, it's all pretty minor. I have something super angsty on the way, but here's this as an apology of sorts for the future. I don't even know what this is to be honest.

Jason Todd was naturally a smug kid. Even at the ripe age of 14, he walked with the confidence of James Bond, both in adventurous and romantic feats. It was truly a wonder how a kid who grew up in absolute desolation could muster up a careless and laid back facade. Barbara referred to it as a facade, but Cass wasn't always so sure. She spent a good amount of time observing instead of speaking, since she wasn't fully versed on human language yet and Jason was one of the most complex specimens she'd seen. For as much as  _some_ of it was an act, she strongly believed that if you acted a certain way for a while, eventually that's what you become. From the way Barbara talked about the original Boy Wonder, it sounded like he used a similar tactic only with cheerfulness and constant positivity. Regardless of whether any of it was artificial or not, Jason's default demeanor was utterly smug.

He was the kind of guy that everyone thought was cool, but never rose to mainstream popularity, because he was just too cool for that. She didn't know much about social interactions from personal experience at this point, given she'd only been around for a few months, but Babs had showed her a fair amount of movies and this trope was recurring in all of them. According to the movies, he wasn't far from buying a motorcycle and a leather jacket. 

So, it was to no one's surprise that Jason flaunted a medal of honor from his most recent romantic conquest. Normally, he wore a hood of some sort to annoy Bruce, but today he had a v-neck t-shirt on to really spotlight the mark on the right side of his neck. She knew he was deliberately walking under the few lighting fixtures in the cave, determined to catch appropriate light for someone to notice and remark on it. She didn't have the appropriate words to say, if she was honest, but knew by now that this was all another brick for the ego house he was constantly constructing. While a part of her understood that Jason needed this, in spite of how blatantly irritating he could be about it, because his confidence actually had a proper foundation to stem into his growth someday. She figured this applied to her as well, considering her previous environment was less than ideal. Still, she'd had a rough day of training and sparring with Barb and didn't feel like having more euphemisms added to her vocabulary by speaking with him.

Barbara wasn't tired enough, apparently.

"Okay, I'll bite--"

"--Thanks, but I've already been bitten." He replied cheekily. They didn't flirt, well Jason did, but there was always this tone in Barb's voice that reigned like that of a big sister. It was obvious he had a crush on her and every other pretty girl (and maybe boy) that walked the earth, but Barbara was far too old both in age and wisdom to give his antics the time of day. She sometimes joked that she wasn't trying to collect Robins.

"Vampire?" Cass decided if Babs was going to play along, she might as well join in too.

She smirked and tilted the young teenager and pretended to examine the mark more closely. "Hmm... Doesn't quite look lethal enough to be a vampire. Is Man-Bat at it again? Should I bring you to Bruce? Or Alfred?"

"NO!" He bellowed and shoved his way out of her reach. Both girls were fully aware that he'd recently received a "talk" of sorts from Alfred. Bruce most likely wasn't sure of this and it would never occur to him on his own that he'd need to have such a talk with Jason, but he really didn't need to live through that again. Alfred was very thorough and had detailed diagrams of both the female and male body. It was a 3 hour seminar on the consequences of sex. He zoned out for most of it, but he had to witness who was essentially his grandfather wield a dildo as demonstration. That was something that was forever burned into his memory.

Cass giggled. "Touchy."

"You two are so weird." He slicked back the bangs that always seemed to fall into his eyes. He always seemed so bothered by them and frustratingly shoved them away from his eyes every chance he got. She never understood why he didn't just shave his head if they annoyed him so much, but Bruce said that Jason likes to have something to annoy him at all times. Barbara said Bruce had a lot of "guts" for saying that. 

"Says the boy who's flaunting a neck that makes him look like a leper."

"Or Dalmatian." Cass offered. 

"Shutup." He grew smug again. "She did call me a dog though."

"Labrador? Beagle? Pug?"

"It's an expression, Cass. Basically I'm a bad boy."

"Oh." Didn't everyone already know that, though? What was the point in this mystery girl saying it? Anyone who hooked up with Jason knew he carried all the emotional baggage and mystique of a classic bad boy. He was strong-willed and soulful whilst also troubled and rebellious. It seemed most females liked this. She didn't get it and it seemed Barbara wasn't all that into the craze either. Then again, Jason was very young in comparison to her. 

"So who is she?" The 19 year old crossed her arms curiously. "The captain of the pep squad?"

"Biker girl?" She offered. 

"The lonely outsider who also happens to love poetry and long walks through the gardens?"

"I told you I decided not to do that dating app thingy!" He pointed at Babs. "Though a female-me wouldn't be too terrible."

"Just to the rest of mankind." She snorted.

Cass sniggered, but his ego was out of reach tonight. "Do you want to hear or not?"

"Come on, Romeo, we don't have all day."

Suddenly, Jason's eyes got this far off stare that resembled a similar expression he developed when he was deep in thought about a poem or story he'd just finished. Cass almost envied his ability to drift off into another world, but also wondered where he developed such a coping mechanism. Now, he wasn't coping, because that bite seemed a lot less lethal or painful than any bite marks she'd seen in her life time. When you lived amongst people who treated you like a savage, you saw this frequently. 

"Cynthia Hawthorne, the new girl." 

"I knew it was going to be a late 90s/early 2000s movie trope." She said and Cass couldn't help but agree. 

" _Anyway_ ," He began pointedly. "She's been going to my school for the past 3 weeks. Every guy at school wants to bone her. She's really fucking--"

"--Friendly reminder that you  _aren't_ talking to a bunch of drunk dudes at a dive bar." Barbara cut in. 

"--Beautiful. What do you take me for, Barbie?" His grin was devilish and they all knew this wasn't his initial phrasing. However, while Jason Todd was many things, Cass had to agree that he was fairly respectful towards women. It was men he tended to have the problems with. He rebelled against Bruce and all of his male teachers while he obviously looked up to Barbara like she was a beacon of hope and at Cass like a deadly weapon whose skills superseded his. While he never talked about it, it was always implied that his father was the one Jason had the major problems with while his mother had simply been a victim. 

"Proceed." She sighed and leaned against the armrest of her wheelchair. She seemed to regret asking in the first place at this point.

"Well, everyone's trying, because what else are a bunch of 14 year old guys gonna do in the middle of the goddamn year when this is the only distraction in sight? Everyone is at this huge race to lose their virginity and she's 16 and rumor has it has already swiped her V-card."

"V-card?"

"Virginity." Babs clarified.

"... And it can be stolen?"

"It's not even a real thing... Not really." She huffed. "It's something invented by society to essentially glorify the idea of "purity", particularly in females while demonizing "inexperience" in males. It's a mess and some people take it too seriously while others don't think about it at all and end up being irresponsible. In reality, you don't lose anything when you have sex for the first time and if you're careful, you don't gain anything either. It literally doesn't matter." 

Jason blinked at Barbara before grinning. "So you lost it, huh?"

Blood rose in her cheeks and she gritted her teeth. "None of you business, Todd."

"That's a yes."

"Continue." Cass was growing very bored of all this sex talk. She knew she wasn't integrated socially with others her age, but she didn't see the appeal outside of procreation. Barbara always said she'd understand later down the line, but she wasn't sure. She genuinely didn't get the feelings that were described in any of the movies she'd watched. 

"So..." He listened. "I've been wearing some of Bruce's cologne, because as annoying as it is that he never changes it, obviously it works. Well, that and the billions of dollars, but I used a little of that too."

"You didn't."

"I didn't... At first. I really did want to get to know her." He smiled and then it faded. "But then I witnessed her disrespect Rocko by purposefully spilling her milk on the floor after he'd just cleaned it and I was done with her. Clearly, she's one of those girls that chews gum and thinks she's the queen bee or some nonsense like that."

"Rocko?"

"This quiet janitor that fought in Vietnam and still believes he's there." Barbara explained. "He's Jason's only friend."

"Cuz everyone else blows."

"Anyway, I'm missing the point as to why you still wanted to get with her."

"She's still hot, Babs, plus I was planning on telling everyone she has scales on her mouth or something to get back at her."

"... Okay."

"Finally, being Bruce Wayne's street-rat got me something."

"She only made out with you, because you're Bruce Wayne's adopted son? Jay, come on, you're better than that." Barbara seemed to think so, anyway. Cass wasn't so sure. Jason was fairly eager to have intercourse and she was fairly certain he'd do just about any consensual thing to accomplish such a feat. 

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. She definitely isn't. I swung around on my motorcycle--"

"--Your WHAT?" She was really good at sounding like their extremely young mother at times, if Cass had any idea of what a real mother was like. She never said anything, both out of incapability to word it without being offensive and because she never had the opportunity, but Barbara would make an excellent mother.

"It's a rental, relax." 

"You can't drive!"

"I ride a motor-bike every single night. I could handle it."

"Bruce will kill you if he finds out you took a girl out on a bike."

"I  _may_ have said I was 16 too. I needed to sell it, for Rocko."

"And she believed you? Is she--"

"--blind?" Cass substituted.

"I was going to say stupid, but that works too."

"Stupid is redundant." 

"True, she has to be pretty stupid for all of this to go so smoothly."

"She is pretty stupid, but my charm helped."

"You waved your newfound money at her and probably used some sad story from your past to reel her in."

"My former homelessness usually works."

"Sick." Cass wrinkled her nose.

"Does it matter how I did it? She blew me!"

"WHAT? I THOUGHT YOU MADE OUT!"

"Babs, come on, I told her I was  _homeless_. I earned a little bit more than some tongue. Besides, I did it for the right reasons."

"Jesus, you're _fourteen_ , Jay."

"Yeah and I didn't give  _anything_ back. After I finished, I told her that one was for Rocko. That's when she called me a dog."

"--STOP!" 

Now he was basically giggling. "Don't get me wrong, I plan to in the future. In fact, I can't wait to--"

"STOP!" It was Barbara's turn to cut him off. "Though after whatever she says about you, I doubt you'll get that opportunity anytime soon."

"Yeah, well, anyone that dumps on someone's day purposefully deserves to suck a dick. Guy or girl."

"Vigilante blowjobs." Cass added, more than amused. Jason really was complicated.

The older girl looked him up and down through her calculating green eyes and wheeled back a bit to take him in. "I knew there was something different about you."

"HAH!"

"Thought... Virginity... Fake?"

She sighed. "With boys there tends to be this influx of self-confidence and cockiness, because they just experienced what's been the best 6 seconds of their lives. Though to be fair, you're still a virgin."

"You're not gonna give me any credit are you?"

"I'm speaking from experience." 

"Oooooh please shed some of that experience on me oh wise and ever mysterious, Oracle. I'll gladly let you take my flower."

"Not on your life, Sport."

"Yeah, well that's probably what you said to--" He stopped himself, realizing he was about to talk about Dick Grayson. Cass could basically already hear the words even though he thought better of it not to say them. Even though he was feeling as though he were on top of the world, he knew it was a touchy subject. Barbara only ever referenced him when it was professional or if she absolutely had to for context's sake. Cass asked questions before and while she wasn't secretive or avoided the subject, she wasn't eager to talk about it either. From what she gathered, Robin's leaving broke her heart. Not only that, but Barbara had apparently visited the Teen Titans and Dick had a new girlfriend. She never outwardly showed it, but everyone knew it bothered her. Jason was especially resentful towards Dick for leaving, having felt a bit abandoned by the older boy given how often Bruce compares the two. He was also very protective of both Batgirls and saw Babs' pain (physical and emotional) as being the now-Nightwing's fault.

Barbara knew what he was going to say though and didn't seem hurt on the surface, but her eyes flickered to the floor for a nanosecond. If Cass wasn't so astute, she probably wouldn't have noticed the movement, but the former Batgirl was offended. She just wouldn't say anything about it.

"Sorry." He still tried and she shrugged.

It was painfully quiet for a moment and Cass's focus was brought to Jason's lips. "That?"

Barbara perked up at the change in tone of the room and followed her line of sight and raised her eyebrows. "Oh my God."

"What? I forgot to shave, okay? I'm starting to grow a bit of a 'stache."

"Bend over, I need to have a look at this." She grabbed his face and pulled him down to her level.

"Jeeze, Barbie, I know I'm into older women, but this is going a bit too--"

"--Oh, if I was  _ever_ kissing you before, I'm sure as hell not anymore."

He pouted. "What?"

Cass wrinkled her brow at Jason. "Gross."

"Guys, really, what?"

She'd never seen anything like it, but she knew it was not supposed to be there.

"You said you used your homelessness story on her, right?" Babs managed with a straight face.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I think I know why it worked, because clearly, she's been with quite a few that have strayed from hygiene for a long time." She released him and leaned back in her chair, falling into laughter; the kind Cass liked where it hurt your sides from being happy for so long. She never understood anatomy for punishing someone for laughing, but she guessed all good things had to end at some point.

"What?" Now he raced over to a mirror and frantically scanned his face. His eyes bugged out in horror. "What the fuck?"

"Jason... Dying?"

"No, he's not dying." Barbara was still recovering. "But he did just get a loyal sidekick that will never abandon him: herpes."

"That... That..." He was searching for the words, but tried to wipe it off like it was peanut butter on his lips.

"God, you better pray it's just going to be on your mouth." Her eyes flickered down and Jason dashed for the locker room to take a shower. 

When he left, she turned to look up at Cass. "And that is why revenge blowjobs never work out."

She shot her a quizzical look and Barbara shrugged.

"I don't have a lot of wisdom on this, if I'm honest. This is the first I'm ever hearing of someone avenging their strange janitor friend by getting the girl to suck their dick."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The source of the idea behind this little snippet came from me trying to type "superheroes" but accidentally typing "superherpes" and then this thing happened.


	24. Love is Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you really love someone... Do you fight for them or set them free?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst is real. Very long and I apologize for all of it.

"Canary, to your right, there's three more!" Oracle directed and her intervention prevented Dinah from sustaining any more injuries to the head. After their scuffle with brainwashed operatives working directly under H.I.V.E., one that certainly left the pretty bird with a concussion at best, she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She'd done her best to keep her out of the field tonight, but the blonde could be even more stubborn than the great Oracle at times, which was saying something. Alas, that didn't mean she couldn't steer her away from the serious danger. 

Well, that had been her initial plan, but Huntress was held up in traffic of all things and Batgirl wasn't at her disposal due to a math test.

_"Dear God, we're at great risk of sounding normal. Imagine that!"_

So, Black Canary was freed from her cage and instructed to put a stop to what was supposed to be a simple mugging, but turned out to be some of Penguin's goons starting their shit again. The woman was actually a huge benefactor from a wealthy senator's estate. What she was doing walking about the dark streets of Gotham alone was a question for another day. What really mattered, was saving her and the check she  _refused_ to relinquish to her attempted kidnappers. It was as if they triggered an alarm, because more and more were dropping out of the woodwork and while Canary was more than capable of handling herself, she wasn't Wonder Woman and couldn't take down an entire fleet of armed men and still walk away smiling.

 _"Then again, I've never really seen Wonder Woman smile..._ "

"Hey, Huntress, feel free to drop in at any time. I'm warming them up for ya!" The blonde quipped and the sound of cracking bones could be heard in the background. Oracle was relieved it was the bones of Penguin's boys.

"The freeway is totally backed up and I don't have my gear!"

"Hey Batgirl, have you flunked algebra yet?"

"She better not. I studied with her for hours last night!" Oracle snapped. "Canary, if you're under stress, there's an air vent 5 feet to your left. Kick it open and make like the Goo Goo dolls and slide."

"I hate that song." She grumbled.

"You must really be concussed, because that is a great song." She smiled, but it faded as her screen started flashing red. "Canary, move! I've got readings that an unregistered helicopter is hovering extremely low near your location."

"I can't hear anything!"

"Do you hear the thumping in your head and a high pitched pinging?" Huntress asked.

"Come to think of it... Yes."

"Concussion AND tinnitus? Oh you are so going to Urgent Care." 

"BC get out of there NOW!" Her voice was rising. "They're armed! Do you hear me? They're-"

Rapidfire bullets streamlined through the air, eliminating all of Penguin's men and missing the ever-savvy Black Canary by a hair. She kicked open the air vent as instructed and disappeared from eyesight. 

"Rubber bullets?" Oracle whispered as she took a survey of the scene. Once she disappeared, the action stopped and the helicopter floated through midair. 

"What the fuck, O?"

"I don't..." She typed as fast as she could on her keyboard to enhance the image in front of her. The driver looked awfully familiar. Her heart stopped pounded at rapid succession when she realized who it was.

"Jesus Christ."

"I'm honored he showed up on my behalf, but..." Dinah started. 

Ignoring her, she worked to hack into the communication server of their surprise guest and unlike with most, didn't bother to throw in the voice modulator. 

"Really, a helicopter, Nightwing?"

"Almighty Oracle? Is that you?" His voice was layered in familiarity and sarcasm in a way that caused her heart to skip a bit. She resented him for still being able to do that.

"It's me, bird-brain. The question is: what the hell are you doing here?"

"I've got some big news."

* * *

Dinah and Helena got to the clocktower before Dick could. Apparently, landing a helicopter discretely in Gotham was a difficult task. She would normally help find a secluded and safe location, but she was prideful and a little embarrassed that he felt he had to swoop in on her operation and save the day a la Dark Knight style. She was aware her hubris would get the better of her someday, but the good friend in her was thankful for his intervention. Dinah was not quick enough with a head injury and would have eventually been obliterated. Due to the lack of her lack of mobility, she would have had to watch that go down. 

You wouldn't think Dinah or Helena were capable of murder based on the girlish squeals that echoed through the tower upon their arrival. Barbara wasn't stupid and quickly prepared herself for the onslaught of questions from the two grown women. Then, she heard another female voice and groaned as she realized Steph also decided to join the party. Two grown women acting like teenage girls plus an actual teenage girl meant for torture.

She wheeled away from her computer monitors and turned to face them. 

Stephanie ran in at almost full speed in her civvies. "You didn't tell me he was hot!"

 

"Does that even sound like something I'd say to you?" She retorted.

"It should have been! God, Babs, I'm all gross looking and smell like someone who just sweated it out during a math test. A beautiful man is on his way over and I look like a greased pig."

"Chill, junior, he's not even going to notice you." Dinah smirked. "Because I've seen the way the former Boy Wonder looks at our beloved Oracle and let me tell you, it's one for the books."

"How's your head?" Babs tried.

"My memory is completely unaffected, thank you."

"Mine might be, because I never guessed that pixie boots would turn out looking like that!" Helena pointed to the monitor that was focused on Dick Grayson getting out of his helicopter. Barbara didn't even glance over, knowing very well that all of her actions and expressions were being deeply analyzed by all three highly observational crime-fighters. They made careers out of sleuthing and she didn't intend on being their newest subject. By the look on Helena's face, she didn't need to look to know that Dick was looking quite incredible in his Nightwing suit. He'd grown into it substantially. She hated herself for noticing, but she wasn't immune to good looks as most weren't.

"That boy would have married you." Dinah grinned. "Had you told him to stay he would have and you would have been hitched with little Robin eggs."

"First of all, ew." She wrinkled her nose at the eggs comment. "Second of all, we were kids."

A red alarm went off and simultaneously, all three young women looked to the screen farthest to their left. On it, a full-scale bank robbery was underway courtesy of Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face. Because Batman and Robin had dealings with the Justice League this weekend, Gotham was in their sole protection. 

Babs threw her head back and groaned. "Fuck. Me."

Helena rested a hand on her shoulder. "That's what we want Nightwing to do! Steph and I got it. You go make that happen."

"You're delusional." 

"I can monitor the situation. Let you get some well-deserved vitamin D."

"And you're concussed."

"Wait, are you two gonna bang?" Steph exclaimed. "Is this going to be the "second" first time?"

"We've never--"

"--The "first" first time." Dinah grinned. 

"I'm not having sex with him now either."

"I know it's a little harder for you considering..." Helena trailed off. 

"It's not because of the chair!" She insisted, though Barbara knew it was a  _little_ about the chair, but not entirely. 

"I wonder if he's back to say he's moving back to Gotham..." That silenced the screaming frustration in Barbara's head and she quickly looked to Dinah in curiosity. 

"What makes you think that?"

"Grand entrance, big news, explicitly coming straight to you... It all fits. Judging by the look in your eyes, that might change your position on the whole sex thing, huh?"

"No!" She shook her head, refusing to be swayed. "Go save the city. I've got some news to receive, apparently."

She'd be a liar to say Dinah's idea hadn't stuck to her brain a bit. Truly, a lot of change had occurred and she was craving for some normalcy. Dick's leaving, her paralysis, Jason's death, and the introduction of the newbies all had her scrambling to grasp onto something. If Dick returned, well, that would be one thing the universe gave her back. It seemed to be the only thing it could give her back. 

* * *

 

He changed from his Nightwing clothes and stood before her in a leather jacket, white t-shirt and khaki pants. She'd never seen him in his uniform up close before and it seemed that would still have to be for another time. His hair was slightly ruffled from all the wind exposure, but it still seemed toppled in all the perfect directions. Since she didn't see him daily anymore, she found herself staring at him like it would be the last time again. She added new details to the imprinted mental snapshot she held of him. She knew every detail and looked at him like she was performing life-changing research.

His dimples came into full view as she rolled over to him.  

"Oracle, it is always a pleasure." He grinned.

"The pleasure is all mine, Nightwing." Her voice was playfully haughty. 

"So grown up. So official." He mused and referred to the clocktower.

"Ah, yes, welcome to my humble abode. And by "abode" I'm of course referring to my own personal private HQ where I act as the number one intelligence source to our very own Justice League."

"You always were a go-getter. Where's the team?"

"Off saving the day. Again."

"The Birds of Prey don't sleep?"

"About as much as bats do." She smirked.

"And Steph's a pretty good Batgirl?"

"She's getting there." Her tone was nonchalant, but truthfully, Cassandra's vanishing to achieve self-discovery was another tough blow to the weak foundation of stability she'd formed. She was hesitant to train the perky blonde, but Bruce and his latest Robin, Tim, insisted on it. The Birds were a good influence on her and poked a little light into the doom and gloom that could be being Batman's sidekick. She was skilled and troubled as most of their growing family seemed to be. Barbara joked once that each newcomer's problems seemed to top their predecessors each time. Then again, normal kids with normal lives weren't suited for this life. Child services would surely be on the phone sooner than later if that were the case. 

"Yeah, well, I've always been a fan of the classic." He leaned against the wall with that typical Grayson-nonchalance.

"Are you calling me old?" She teased and crossed her arms to sell the part.

"Yes." He deadpanned and then broke out into a shit-eating grin. "Look at those glasses! You can't even see."

He knew good and well she always needed glasses and simply used to opt for contacts. It was kind of difficult to perform the stunts they pulled without knocking off a pair of specs. Now, it was more sensible and comfortable to not have plastic in her eyes while she stared at a computer monitor all through the day and night. Sometimes for special occasions she still whipped out the contacts, but those moments were growing fewer and farther between. If she didn't have to shop for food, she would never have to leave the clocktower.

"I will run you over with this thing, Grayson."

"Is that your new interrogation technique?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

"Threat or promise?"

"A bit of both, maybe?"

She narrowed her eyes as he leaned closer so he could look directly at her. He was always so unabashedly genuine, at least with her, and it made reading him to be a very easy task. It amazed her that even in his absence, she could still read the uncertainty and trouble that seemed to torment him. He knew he was exposed in looking right at her, but he didn't turn his gaze. Then again, that would be all the more telling that something was up.

"Something tells me you didn't drop by simply to banter."

"I don't know I really liked our banter."

"You mentioned news and that it was of the large variety."

"Ah that's right."

"I'm surprised you forgot since you've been nervously tapping your fingers against your leg since we've begun talking."

He released a held breath from his nose and closed his eyes. "Yeah, sometimes I forget I'm not the only one trained by Batman."

"Oh I didn't learn that from B. That's some grade A Jim Gordon perception."

"You had two of the greatest detectives as your mentors. That's almost unfair." 

"Almost." She loved their banter too and sometimes craved how fair they went with it. Dinah could keep up most of the time and Helena wasn't too shabby either, but nobody knew witty quipping like Dick Grayson. Sure, he was corny as hell too, but he could always be smart when he wanted, smarter than most gave him credit for. Sometimes she was guilty of that too, but he always surprised her. Still, her own anxiety was admittedly killing her right now and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so antsy. Even if his face was a mere few inches from hers, she still couldn't ignore it.

"I've missed you." He stated like it was final, like that was the news, but he was still nervous and she knew he was only beginning. Her heartrate increased and she could practically picture Dinah screaming (maybe not  _screaming_ , because dear God that canary could sing and they would hear it) at the monitor, spying on them as predicted. She couldn't really blame her, because if he was going to remain this close and open up this slowly, she might die of a heatstroke in the time it takes for him to finally spit it all out.

"I've missed you too."

His lips twitched. "Do you think my being with the Titans is a fantasy?"

Okay, was Dinah psychic? She had to remind herself that this was a very delicate situation, one that would require severe and sincere evaluation in order to determine whatever she would say next was impartial and just as opposed to the opposite. She was a woman of logic in more ways than she could count, but damn, did her emotions burn deep. She attributed it to her Irish genetics, the passionate part of her that was, the side that wanted her to act impulsively. Sometimes she gave way to it, but this could not be one of those moments. The girls wanted it to be, but she was smarter than that.

Instead her inner intellect came out and she stupidly said, "What?"

"I've led this team for almost 2 years. I love it, I really do, and when I'm with them and we're just hanging out, I'm super happy. Then, I sometimes feel like it's just a bubble."

"A bubble?" God, she was really showing off her smart side tonight.

"Yeah, like I'm  _so_ happy there and it's the greatest I've ever felt, but then I come home and I see... Well, I come back to reality and I look around and none of it seems real. I'm afraid it's superficial. I'm afraid that I only make the decisions I make, because I'm in this bubble. When I leave the bubble, the choice isn't as clear as it was in the bubble. Being in the bubble is fine for now, but it isn't forever."

"No, I wouldn't think so."

He stared at her in that soul-gazing way that used to freak her out when they were kids and still kind of freaked her out as young adults. Dick never hated his passionate side and he had  _so_ much of it. She felt like he was asking a deeper question that he expected her to understand even if the words weren't being spoken. When they were young, she'd tease him and say she wasn't a mind-reader and he would never spit it out. He would never lie to her, but she always had a sneaking suspicion what he was referring to. He'd flirt and toe the line, then back up, flirt, back up, touch, back up, get closer and closer and then further. It was infuriating. 

Now, she was just trying to figure out what this bubble really was.

"Are you... Are you thinking of coming back?" She hoped to sound nonchalant.

He raised his eyebrows. "Um, from the Titans to Gotham?"

"What else would I be referring to, Dick?"

His shoulders sagged a bit. "I'm, uh, asking... No, I  _asked_ Koriand'r to marry me."

She felt herself go numb for a moment. "You... What?"

"And I needed someone's advice on whether or not that was the right thing to do."

"So you... Okay, wait a second." She pinched the top of her nose. "You proposed."

He smiled sheepishly. "Yes."

"Proceeded to fly all the way to Gotham, because you're having a life crisis."

"Yes."

"To talk to me."

"Well, it was either you or Bruce and you were home."

She shoved him a little bit harder than she normally would, but played it off. "Thanks a lot."

He rubbed his arm. "Still strong."

"Can we stay on the topic of you proposing at the ripe age of 19?"

"Babs, you more than anyone has to understand that we age a lot quicker than normal people. Life is short."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

His eyes flickered to her chair and she resented him for it a little bit. Dick wasn't immune to seeing her a little differently since the incident. He was better at hiding it, for which she appreciated, but it was still there. Maybe he didn't drown in pity like others did, but she knew he felt it was his fault, as most Batboys seemed to. She also knew he worried for her more than he ever used to. She couldn't really be mad about that, since she'd be the same way if it were him. But the fact that he expected her to get his  _huge_ life decision based on her misfortunes, was infuriating to her. If anything, she'd become more distant from her emotions since everything that happened. It seemed  _more_ dangerous to fall in love and start a family.

"I just mean after everything that happened with Jason and..."  _You._ "That I... I don't want to waste time, okay?"

"Jeeze, I better hurry up and get married then if I don't want Joker to come back and finish me off." 

"Don't talk like that!" He stood and glared at her.

"What do you want me to say? 'You're so right! Fighting crime makes teen marriage a super sensible option. It makes you way more emotionally ready for such a life-long commitment!'. Because it's quite the opposite!"

"Love isn't about being sensible! Kori is all about passion and energy and saying how you really feel."

"Ooh how is _that_?" She glared at him. 

"It's..." He looked away from her. "It's different."

"Well, I'm sure your relationship is one big open book. Congrats, Dr. Phil commends you." 

"You know, I didn't come here to be judged."

 

"I'm not judging you!"

"Really? Because that's not what I'm hearing. I don't know how you're doing personally--"

"--And you don't think that's a problem?" She decided to cling to one issue she had in all of this to avoid being accused to jealousy.

He blinked.

"We were best friends! We told each other everything and while I knew you were seeing Kori, I didn't... I didn't know it was even serious. Last I spoke to you about it, she had no idea what your real name was."

"I know."

"And you go months without reaching out!" She wanted him to feel bad, but him feeling bad didn't make her feel any better. In fact, anger was fading and guilt was rising.

"I'm sorry. I am."

"And you're looking at me with those stupid puppy dog eyes and it pisses me off, because I feel like I don't know who you are half the time anymore and this doesn't help."

"I'm coming to you, aren't I?"

"Because Bruce wasn't home." She huffed.

"C'mon Babs." He tilted his head. "Why would I ever go to Bruce for love advice?"

"Since when do you come to me for love advice?" She knew the answer, though.

"You never make anything easy, you know that?" He was frustrated, but there was a fondness in his voice again. 

"Neither do you." She replied, except without a trace of lightness. 

"So tell me... Do you think I'm... Well, do you think I'm doing the right thing? Because if you don't..." His voice grew small towards the end and it sort of broke her heart how vulnerable he was right now. Dick was always open about his feelings through just looking at him, but right now, he was bearing his soul. And here she was treating his feelings like this was all just a crush. He understood the severity of marriage. She knew he did. Having a family and achieving that level of happiness was always important to him. Perhaps it was possible she wasn't doing such a good job being as impartial as she thought she was. In fact, she was dangerously approaching Bruce-level hypocrisy. 

She released the tension in her shoulders. "I don't think I can properly answer that. I'm not you."

He threw his head back. "Ugh."

Her eyes softened and gently took his hand and tugged on it so he was leaning in front of her. "Does she make you happy?"

He looked at her carefully. "Yes."

She smiled and nodded. "And you... You love her."

"I do."

"Then what other answers do you need?"

"If it's just the bubble, because when I come here... It's different." 

"And you wanted me to impart my infinite wisdom about successful romantic relationships?"

He chuckled. "Just a little perspective, maybe."

"Well, I think if you've gone as far as seeking out the mighty Oracle, you're very serious about this."

"I am."

"And I think you could use to be serious about something. About someone. You need someone to swing back to at the end of the day. However, I think you need to understand that the only person that can say whether or not this is truly right is you and if you're looking for someone to tell you no, it's not going to be me."

"You're so good at it, though." He teased.

"That may be true, but I also want you to be happy." She took his face in her hands. He was irritatingly beautiful, but his image was beginning to grow blurry from tears forming against her will. She always felt like she was saying goodbye to him, but there was a whole other heartbreaking undertone to all of this that was finally replacing the anger that once coursed her bloodstream. 

_"He would have married you."_

She knew what she presently wanted and it didn't include romantic entanglements. He wanted to be married. She needed to figure herself out and continue to further her career. He had his own team to lead. She wanted to make her mark as the lead informant and database for the Justice League. He was off in the field doing his own thing every single day. She wanted to continue studying to become an excellent forensic analyst at school. He was taking online classes here and there. She wanted to stay put whereas Dick Grayson always wanted to fly away. However, a great part of her would always, always want him too. 

Barbara always subconsciously guessed that someday she might have been able to have it all. This was not the case and she should have known better. Life was about choices. Sometimes you make them and sometimes they're made for you. A combination of those two things forever kept them at odds no matter how close they were. Now she was making one that was the final nail in the coffin for a lot of reasons that might have been true or misguided. Either way, it broke her heart and by the glassy look in his eyes, broke his a little bit too. A lesser person might have felt better by this, but it hurt her more.

She just couldn't be the things he needed or wanted and by the sounds of it, Koriand'r could. She was passionate, outgoing, free-flowing, open about how she felt, not mention she wasn't handicapped emotionally or physically. Babs didn't want it to be about the chair, but everything would be, even a little bit. It was something to consider and while she would never vocally admit to such a thing, she could never feel as though she was holding him back, ever, in any capacity.

And she was simply too late to just really be realizing all of this.

She swallowed. "More than anything."

"Babs..." He wasn't louder than a whisper. He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't.

"I better get an invitation to this wedding, Boy Wonder." She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "And a good table. Maybe not table one or two, but at least three. I think I'm worthy of that."

"You're... You're worthy of a lot more than that." And he was giving her that  _look_ again, one that was making this more difficult. "You're worth the best."

"So are you. So she better be the best."

He slowly stood to his feet and ran an arm across his face. "I didn't think this was going to be such an emotional thing."

"It always is with you."

He chuckled. "You should meet Starfire."

"I kind of agree."

"You will. I promise. And I promise not to be such an ass about communicating anymore."

"Thank you." She wiped her own tears. "Well, I better get back up there and make sure nobody died."

"And I guess I better work on how to email Bruce about this whole thing. I assume he's with the JLA."

"That's a correct assumption. Maybe save this for an in-person conversation?"

"I promise not to be an ass about communicating with  _you_ anymore."

She laughed. "Fair."

He began to walk away and stopped short of the door at her call. "Hey Dick?"

He turned. "Yes?"

She paused, considering herself and was careful in her execution, making it difficult to read into her words, forming them as platonically as she could, but knew only for herself what they really meant. "I love you."

He swallowed and Dick "heart on his sleeve" Grayson wasn't nearly as cautious as she was in his demeanor. "And I love you."

And somehow, that crushed her more than anything else.

 

* * *

 

"But..." Steph stared at the monitor with the other two on either side of her. "I thought she loved him."

"Yeah, she does." Dinah sighed.

"No! If you love someone, you fight for them and hold onto them fiercely."

"Sometimes, and sometimes it's letting them go."

"That's so sad, though!"

"Yeah, I kind of feel like Babs is saying "Yes" to Dick and "No" to herself." Helena shook her head. "But what do you expect? Batman has all of you designed to be little martyrs by puberty."

"Either way, girlfriend is going to need some serious ice cream tonight."

 

 

 


	25. The "Cool" Aunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone knows that "no" from Bruce means ask Aunt Kate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka 5 times the Batkids came to Kate for a favor and the one time she came to them.

**One**

Kate never saw herself as someone that would be good with children. Then again, she never really had to spend much time with them outside of her younger cousin Bette when they were young. She was ex-military and babysitting was never part of her agenda. When she decided to get into the crimefighting game, she didn't think this would change much. Maybe she'd have to save kids here and there, but it would most likely be a quick interaction and no one really cared  _who_ saved their lives so long as the job was done. She didn't hate kids or anything, but she never had much face-to-face with them after her own childhood. She typically occupied fields where they didn't frequent. 

This was not the case when her cousin Bruce, aka the Batman, accepted her into his honorary "family" of crimefighters. While the Justice League consisted of all adults, almost the entire entity of Batman's clan were adolescents. She knew there was always a Robin to Bruce's Batman, but she never suspected it as a revolving door of kids who eventually claimed their own titles. It seemed a little crazy, even to her.

The first she'd met was appropriately Dick when he was a small and wiry boy that knew how to contort himself in ways she didn't question. He made Robin the hero he was known to be across all ages, but now he no longer wanted to be Robin anymore. Clearly, Bruce was just as stubborn as a father figure as he was as a cousin. He never liked to pass the yams during Thanksgiving if he didn't think of it and that always rubbed her a weird way. Now, he was the leader of not one, but two major teams along with the legal guardian to children. Stubbornness and pride didn't always mesh well there. She knew when it was important to step in. 

"So, how'd your conversation with the big guy go?" She revealed herself from the shadow she'd been disguised in. He didn't seem startled. The kid was very perceptive and was likely aware she was there the entire time, which was okay since he sent her a message about meeting up. She simply guessed what it entailed.

He sighed heavily. No 17 year old should have that much weighing on them, but Dick was a lot like her when she was younger, except handling it all significantly better.

"No great. He doesn't think I'm ready to step out on my own." He shook his head. "I almost killed someone in the field today. Maybe he's right."

"Who'd you almost kill?"

"Joker."

She sighed. "Almost isn't good enough if you ask me."

"Batman has a way of doing things and I respect that. In most ways I agree with him, but it was self-defense. It was him or me and Batman thinks... Well, he thinks that when we put on these suits that we should always put ourselves last."

"Joker's life isn't worth more than yours. That's bullshit." She felt anger rising in her voice.

"Maybe, but that isn't for us to decide. Bruce would give his life for me, but I think he fears that I'll step over that line. He'd fail himself if I do."

"That's why he wants to keep you boxed in, which isn't very fair. Does he really think you can be a grown man with the name "Robin"?"

"I came up with it!"

"It's a symbol of youth, Boy Wonder and I think you need a new identity."

"Superman suggested I go as "Nightwing". He's a heroic kryptonian."

She smiled. "I like it. You tell Batman?"

"Again, he didn't."

"So what?"

He looked up to her. "Excuse me?"

"So. What." She emphasized. "I joined the military, Dick. Do you think my parents wanted that? I did what I  _had_ to do in order to become my own person and have my own purpose. Bruce will come along."

"You think?"

"I know. Besides, you're young and unattached. What's holding you back?"

"Friends... High school... I kind of have a girl... Well, she's not a girlfriend per say, but she's more than a friend and it's finally happening and--"

"--And there are plenty of girls out there, trust me. I know about that more than anyone."

He looked away from her and over at the skyline. He didn't look like he necessarily agreed with that last bit of wisdom. Then after some serious consideration, he nodded. "I have to do this, don't I?"

"If you ever want to be your own person and your own hero, yes." She agreed. "It's what I did and look at me! I'm a badass ex-military vigilante who's got a hot girlfriend. That could be you in a few years time."

He smiled. "And Bruce?"

"Form the team. Set it up and go. He'll get it later down the line. Show him he was a great teacher by graduating."

He looked out at the city again. "I'm gonna do it. Thanks Aunt Kate."

"I'm not your--" Though he leaped off the side of the building and swung to the next before she could say otherwise.

* * *

 

**Two**

As much as she saw herself in Dick's need to fly away, she related to Jason Todd more than any of the other Robins. He grew up on the streets, making him hard on the outside and misunderstood as a whole. He was one of those kids that was actually very sweet when he wanted to be, but snapped shut like a mousetrap at any sliver of suspicion. She, herself, was rather hesitant to trust others and definitely went through her own streak of teenage rebellion. 

She and Jason got along well, significantly better than Bruce and Jason did. She knew Bruce was trying his best, but he would never fully understand where the kid was coming from. They butted heads too often and sometimes when they both pushed too hard, he ended up on her doorstep, usually with a ridiculous request that was thoroughly denied by Bruce. Sometimes, she knew when to take Bruce's side, but was always careful about her execution and knew how to reason with the wild child. Other times, she was more than willing to be his guardian to break free from the strict reign Bruce tried to maintain.

"Kate! Jason's here!" Maggie reported from the front door. It wasn't a regular occurrence, but it wasn't uncommon either.

She put her pot roast aside to cool and walked over to the foyer, still donning her apron. The 14 year old was soaked from head to toe and covered in grime. In his right hand was the detached handlebar from a motorcycle. He tried to appear innocent, but that was impossible for someone like them, whose innocence was so far down the river it was drowned out.

"What'd you do this time?" She moved aside to let him in anyway.

"Well... I  _may_ have broken my new bike."

"I can see that. Where's the rest of it?"

"Did I mention I was jumping the river?"

"What, in God's name, made you think you could jump the river?"

"It was really important."

"It was a dare, wasn't it?"

"More of a boost in confidence from a very pretty girl."

"Is the girl okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Are you okay?"

"Just wet." 

"Does Bruce know?"

"..."

"That's what I thought. I'm surprised he's even letting you drive one of those things. You're 14."

"That may be true, but he's a lot more forgiving and charitable when he doesn't know about something."

"What?"

"I sort of told him I needed a check for summer school, which I'm not even in, by the way, and used it to pay for a bike."

"And he has no idea."

"Joker's had Bruce through a lot of stress lately with his most recent escape from Arkham."

"So the bike is gone... What are you doing here?"

"I  _kind of_ had my Robin suit in the duffle on the back of the bike. He'll kill me if I lose it."

"He doesn't kill."

"True, but he does paralyze and cause brain trauma and I don't want that either." They both knew good and well that Bruce would never hurt his kids, but that didn't mean he would ever offer Jason an ounce of trust again. It was bad enough how often he compared Jason to Dick and how disappointed he always seemed in him. She knew Jason was wrong to lie and destroy, but she didn't want him out of the field for life either.

"What do you need? I doubt there are any supersuit tailors up at this hour."

"I need either a really killer lie or help getting it out of the lake."

"I am not helping you lie to Bruce."

He groaned. "Man..."

"Maggie! I'm getting my wetsuit and going into the lake."

Jason grinned. "Thanks, Auntie." 

He knew she hated that.

"... I'll save you some leftovers." Came the call from the kitchen.

* * *

 

**Three**

Tim Drake didn't have the same drive for freedom as Dick did or rebellion as Jason did. She liked Tim Drake quite a bit, but he was also easily the most unlike her as Jason was the most like her. She had great respect for him and his skillset. He somehow managed to be extremely compassionate while also very tactical. This was an odd mix, but somehow complimented inside the swirling enigma that was the young teenager.

Still, Tim was incredibly curious and while this was an excellent skill for a detective, it did occasionally get him into trouble outside of the field. So much so this time, that he was effectively temporarily benched as Robin. Bruce, being the great father he was, replaced him with Tim's own girlfriend. So when he pulled her aside after she assisted them in conquering Poison Ivy (yet again), she assumed he needed advice on getting back into the field.

"So, I did something bad." He said as he shut his bedroom door. Judging by the test tubes, large stacks of books, and diagrams littered all over his room, she guessed he didn't have too much company up here. It even surprised her he had a girlfriend. He barely had time to sleep.

"You must have. You've been stripped from your pixie boots."

"Only Dick wore those." He scoffed. 

"Ah yes, your costume is just so much more masculine." She rolled her eyes. The Robin costume had improved in recent years, but not by much.

"I'm not talking about that, anyway. I disobeyed an order and I deserve my suspension." He sighed. "But this is worse... Why don't you look worried?"

"Because no offense, you're kind of the goody-two-shoes of the boys and your idea of "worse" isn't boding terrifying for me."

"I turned Alfred into a frog!"

"WHAT?" She yelped. If she'd been drinking anything, and she suddenly wished she was, she would have spit it all out.

"SHHH!" He reached to cover her mouth, but she twisted his wrist and gave him a threatening enough look that made him retreat from that attempt.

"How the  _hell_ did you manage that?"

"I was just trying to help with our current investigation against the League of Assassins. We suspect that Talia Al Ghul mothered a child of Bruce's."

"Like a bastard?"

"I was trying to be nicer about it."

"Why bother? If she's been keeping a kid from him for his entire life, that's not worth politeness."

"Maybe for the kid?"

"He's likely very demonic by now if she's raising him. I won't call her a bitch, but she's pretty bitchy."

"Anyway, I was studying the ancient curses and arts of the League through this book Steph and I found on our latest mission... You know, when I disobeyed orders."

"I'm up to speed."

"And I said one out loud and Alfred was walking by with warm milk for me and POOF! Frog."

"Shit."

"And Bruce doesn't know I have this book. If he finds out, I might never get to be Robin again."

"Which is bad."

"Aunt Kate!"

"I'm not your aunt!"

"Whatever! You're the only one I know who can help. Babs will freak, Steph might make it worse, and obviously Alfred isn't much of a source right now."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You've got military resources. Surely, you can help me get access to a top secret shape shifting antidote."

"And memory eraser."

"Why?"

"Alfred will totally squeal otherwise."

* * *

 

**Four**

She'd actually met Barbara Gordon during her original Batgirl days, completely unrelated to Batman. This made sense, given Babs was the only one who wasn't adopted by Bruce. She guessed Stephanie really wasn't either, but she lived in the Manor and Bruce acted like a father figure to her more times than not. Bruce and Babs had much more of a mentor/student relationship, which meant that while she respected Bruce, she knew she didn't take anything he said or did personally the way the boys always seemed to. They were close and he was always trying to guide (sometimes control) her own path to heroism, but Babs was independent from the get go and very strong-willed as well. She always suspected it was such self-assuredness that inspired Dick to take up his own team eventually. 

She was stubborn too, though, and rarely reached out for help unless she really needed it.

When Cassandra Cain came into the picture and Barbara was freshly the self-proclaimed Oracle, that was one of those times. Cassandra would eventually become another addition to Bruce's ever expanding league of children crime fighters, but he was quite hesitant to this at first. She was surprised since the Robin role was an ever revolving door apparently. Dick stepped down and Bruce found a new sidekick in Jason immediately. 

She knew what it was like to be injured and knocked down and to have someone pity you for it. She knew better than to extend this behavior to someone of pride like the commissioner's daughter who was a hero in her own right, for her accomplishments and not just for what she survived.

"Long time no see." She leaned against her doorframe.

Babs ran a hand through her red hair, which was close to the same color of Kate's. "I need your help."

"I can see that." She nodded.

"She needs a place to stay and I'm still temporarily living with my dad, who of course, you know doesn't know about--" She made a gesture that was supposedly meant to emulate the crimefighting. 

"And Wayne Manor isn't big enough."

"Bruce doesn't think she can..." She glanced back at the figure behind her for a moment and then shrugged, her stare growing stern again. "It doesn't matter what he thinks. We haven't got much choice but to make sure she's alright."

The young teenager was standing right behind the redhead, who's eyes were sharp behind her black frames. Cassandra refused to make eye contact and appeared an awful lot like a kicked puppy rather than a deadly assassin as described by Babs over the phone. Regardless of her past, it seemed the former Batgirl was determined to take her in and teach her to channel her strengths into something positive.

Kate smiled at her and the girl looked down immediately. "Can she speak?"

Babs shook her head. "If she can, she hasn't yet. She's been living in some pretty harsh living space right now."

"What does Bruce want to do with her?"

"He thinks she needs to be in one of those high grade mental places? Not like Arkham, but where the non-criminals go."

"And you clearly disagree."

"She saved Jason. She went out of her way to save him and I've seen what she can do. We can help her."

She also suspected part of this was her wanting to somehow get Batgirl on the streets again. Batgirl was important and Kate couldn't disagree. It was quite a boy's club out there, but she hoped this girl was right for the job.

"I promise I wouldn't ask if I didn't believe this was right."

"I know. You're very honorable, you know that?"

"I think the word you're looking for is "thick-skulled", but I'll take it." She smirked. "She won't be here long. I'm trying to move out of my Dad's place and get my own apartment. I'm having a hard time operating from home with his being there."

"And he's going to go for that."

"He'll have to." She shrugged. "I've got to move on at some point."

"It'll be fun to have a kid in the house for a little." She reached out and took Cassandra's hand. "I've always loved little badasses."

"You really do make a great aunt."

"Don't make me change my mind, Gordon."

* * *

 

**Five**

Damian Wayne was the most difficult of all the children. Everyone had their struggles. Dick watched his parents fall to their death, Barbara was paralyzed and sexually assaulted by the Joker, Jason lived on the streets and was eventually killed, Tim's father was killed too, Stephanie's father was a murderer, and Cassandra grew up basically as a ferrel child. Damian Wayne was raised to be a member of the League of Assassins, making him bloodthirsty, dangerous, pompous, cold, and uncooperative. She could get over most of that if he wasn't a little asshole most of the time.

"I demand your help." It took a lot to startle her, but Damian inherited his father's predisposition of silence until necessary and she almost dropped her groceries.

"Seriously, kid?" She snapped. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Language." He snapped back.

She snorted. "You don't get to tell me what to do, junior. I'll kick your butt."

"And yet you listened."

"You haven't asked for a favor before, have you?"

"No, but I am not asking."

"Are you threatening me in the ACME parking lot at 2 in the afternoon?"

"A foolish time to shop, by the way."

"I'll tell my fiancee."

"You should."

"What do you want?" She placed her bags in the trunk of her car. "I'm guessing you're the new kid."

"I am Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul, grandson of the Demon's head."

"Congrats. I'm Kate."

"Tt- I know who you are."

"Obviously. Otherwise, you just startled several unassuming women in their late 30s."

"You're 40. Lying is unbecoming of you."

"You haven't spoken to women much either, huh?"

"Tt-" That was going to get annoying. "I see no point unless I am to procreate. You would not be interested in the likes of me, either."

"I feel like most aren't."

He rolled his eyes. "I need your help convincing father to allow me to be Robin."

She turned to him. "So you know he's the B?"

"Yes, and that is a poor disguise of names, by the way."

"He doesn't want you to be Robin?"

"Grayson does." 

"Grayson isn't Batman."

"That's what you think." He smiled for the first time and then it faded. "But father doesn't trust me yet."

"Can't say I blame him."

"And he values your opinion for some reason."

"Why should I help?"

"I will see about father paying for you wedding."

"I'm rich. Next."

"I promise to ensure the safety of your guests at said wedding."

"I've got a lot of badass friends. Next."

"I assure you I will not frighten you again."

"... Deal."

* * *

 

**Six**

"Do  _not_ make a big deal of this." She growled.

Dick grinned. "You totally need our help."

"It's not  _help_. It's ceremonial only."

"But it's help." Jason smirked. "After all the rants about how we're always knocking on your door."

"And getting you into crazy situations." Tim added.

"I do not see why we need to help." Damian muttered.

"Shush, Baby bird, of course we'll help." Barbara smiled. "We've been waiting for this forever."

"It's not help!"

"Anything for Auntie!" Jason teased.

"I'll hit you!"

"Hit him!" Damian urged.

"Yeah, he stole my model rocket." Tim muttered. "You can hit him."

"I'll hit all of you."

"Whoa, at once?"

"Shut up. Do you want to be in my wedding or not?"

"I love weddings." Dick smiled.

"You're not singing at this one."

"Why not?"

"Because you're an embarrassment." Jason nodded.

"You really are." 

"Timmy, what the hell?"

"Yeah, and if my Dad is coming to this one, you're really not allowed to sing." Barbara shuttered. "Last time you got drunk and proclaimed we were going to "destination pound town" after the wedding."

Kate glared at him. "If you do that, I'll make that impossible, Dick Grayson."

"I won't drink then!"

"Fine. So these are all yeses I presume."

"Yes." Tim nodded. "We are gonna be the best Bride's grooms and maids ever."

 


	26. Under the Black Cowl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson was a natural-born performer, but even he can't keep the act up forever.

He manages to play a spot-on impression until it doesn't have to be an impression for him anymore. When he's suited up, he falls into an immediate mindset of who he needs to be. It was scary what his stepping up meant, but if anyone suspected a difference in character, that was something to be exploited. The last thing anyone in their inner circle needed was anymore exploitation. No, what they really needed was rest, but rest truly was never offered for the weary. The second-best thing to rest was finding a way to continue on as if nothing had happened. Questions weren't asked, positions were naturally assumed, and everyone's personal desires were put on an unpredictable hold. It was unnatural how natural they fit themselves around tragedy. Then again, everyone knew what they say about practice.

His eyes turn to steel as his mouth falls into a grimace as a resting face. It doesn't suit his face the way it did Bruce's and still seems a little forced, even when it wasn't. He punches harder, but more strategically. The bulkiness of the Batsuit prevent him from administering the same amount of grace he always displayed nor does it allow him the freedom of mobility as his Nightwing or Robin costumes had. He ceases to fill the comm lines with seemingly senseless banter. His voice is rougher. It was hard to believe this was the same boy that years ago had been dancing around in bright red, joyfully spitting corny puns at the fools they'd conquered. Nobody likes the change, but it's a necessary one. Batman needed to remain Batman no matter who was wearing the suit.  

He leads a strong team, albeit not alone in any definition of the word, but the Bat continues to radiate a sense of loneliness that he never understood until he actually became him. Maybe it was the loss to Bane that struck him to his core. Sure, they'd been beat by their respective villains many times, but Bruce had never been physically conquered to such a magnitude. It ripped away any false image of invincibility that Dick always attributed to his image of him. As much as Batman meant strength, hope, and the quiet good that remained in such a corrupt city, being Batman was simply a reminder of loss, depression, and isolation to Dick Grayson. His siblings hate who he's transformed into and altercations arrive frequently, particularly from Jason. Dick just wants to uphold the values Bruce tried to instill and tries to do so with less debilitating guilt and remorse and for the correct reasons, whatever they may be.

Bludhaven isn't completely neglected. Batman delegates Red Hood to patrolling the nastier neighborhoods as a friendly reminder that someone was always watching. Each member of the family earns their own sector of Gotham, but Batman oversees everything with only usually Robin directly at his side. Barbara doesn't get out as Batgirl as much, choosing to spend more time as Oracle and lending her services to Gotham as an emotional and intellectual resource instead of physical. Despite her own difficulties with everything that's happened, she and Alfred maintain levity in the Cave, ensuring the younger heroes are allowed to grieve while also respecting Dick's charge. 

That doesn't mean they make it easy on him. Damian is constantly in his ear with somewhat empty threats regarding the possibility of Dick tarnishing the Batman name and of disgust on why Dick was so grim about being Batman. Jason is bitter that the same "bullshit and skewed moral superiority" would continue through Dick's Batman. Tim feels betrayed by his older brother's decision to take on Damian as Robin and uncharacteristically rebelled at which ever chance he got that didn't put lives at risk. Cassandra quietly submits, but doubts his capabilities. Stephanie is gutted by his change in personality, especially its similarity to Bruce's. Selina spends whatever time she isn't taking care of Bruce, organizing vengeful rampages that Dick repeatedly has to diffuse since they often do put lives at risk. 

He learns to love his family from the quiet distance Bruce did, a way which he didn't truly understand until late in his Robin days. He plays the martyr at whatever chance he got, offered support and advice when warranted, and provided a strong presence only when necessary. There was no room for selfishness in these long months. Soon, everyone carried on like Bruce Wayne wasn't on longterm bed-rest from a broken back. Everyone continued on and Dick was pleased by this. The reason he was able to pull this off better than anyone was the fact that he knew Bruce better than all the rest. It was damn convincing.

He knew he shouldn't let it bleed into his personal life, but it was inevitable. He essentially had to be a father to these kids, a task he never asked for, though graciously took up with tender care. He tries to still be himself, though that's increasingly difficult when everyone was projecting their anger to him constantly. He was used to being liked by his family, but this was a change in the current. Damian still adores him, though he'll never admit it, and most of the team secretly thought Dick's Batman was better for Gotham anyway. It was clear the lack of Nightwing's presence was more harmful than they'd ever assumed.

Some nights are a lot harder than others. He makes decisions Bruce probably wouldn't and takes action he wouldn't sometimes as well, but he wasn't around to do it so it had to be done. Bodies still aren't dropped, but Dick doesn't think that way all of the time. He's a lot more concerned for the lives of his allies and friends than he is for the serial killer that murdered 30 women and broke out of Arkham again. He still does what he can, but he's not trapped with the same burden Bruce was. Instead, it was all about appeasing everyone else and appearances. It was the weight of supporting several adolescents from an emotional perspective while simultaneously remaining distant and believable from his opponents.

Tonight was a particularly bad night where he got beat horribly in order to save a young boy from a kidnapping. It was all timed so that Dick had to make some kind of choice between the children and only one would live. It was a sick mind trick, but they'd figured out a way to save both in the knick of time. Of course, no one knew about the secret kid that was also being held and was murdered as collateral just before he arrived on the scene. He tells everyone else it's his fault and sends them home long before he plans to return.

As much as everyone knows that isn't true, they know he'll wallow anyway so they don't have to and silently appreciate it.

Dick doesn't come back to the cave until just before sunrise. His time of arrival used to be 3, then 4, then 5, and now 5:30. He's always liked sunrise and sometimes chooses to watch the beginnings of it before receiving a concerned message from Oracle about returning back to base. Sunrise reminds him of the promise of a new day and while this utterly terrified him, because it meant another day confined as Batman, it also meant hope for a better one. After the night he's had, it was unlikely it could be any worse. 

He's lucky the batmobile drives itself, because he's sure he couldn't do it by how sore his limbs are. His eyes are heavy, but he knows he won't be sleeping based on the events that kept playing through his mind. They were the visions that made him want to quit forever and never stop going. Everything felt hazy and he couldn't stop seeing one of his brother's faces on the cold and lifeless one of the victim. He didn't necessarily have to attribute loss to his family in order to feel remorse, but it adds a fearful element that Scarecrow would thrive on. 

His Batman differs in Bruce's in the sense that he doesn't allow his own fears and sadness to be the reason they do things. He won't kill either, but understands the importance of self-defense along with choosing the life of an innocent person as opposed to say, a serial killer. Jason's logic about saving criminals was ringing truer and truer and he wonders if this means he's toeing the line Bruce feared his entire life. 

His loss isn't welcome by a brigade of bats and birds and for that, he's thankful. He returns to a dim cave, with only a sullen but straight-faced Barbara Gordon waiting as the car pulls up. In spite of still being fully in character, he warms up a bit at the sight of her. She's been running herself almost as ragged as he's been lately and while he always tells her to rest, he knows she won't consider it until he takes up his own advice. He essentially falls out of the car despite his own reservations of maintaining strength, but turns his head down in shame to somehow try and hide his sorrow. There were too many nights where they felt like this, out of control, since Bane beat Bruce. 

He doesn't cry, because Batman doesn't cry.

Then again, Batman wasn't supposed to let anyone die, either.

He wasn't suppose to lose or be weak. He was supposed to save people, to save Gotham.

Dick wasn't Batman.

"Dick..." She tries, but he just looks like the shell of a man and she feels herself moving before she can cognitively think to.

She's at his side in a moment's time, just after his knees hit the floor. Her hands cradle his face, but he still refuses to meet her eyes. She surveys his wounds from what she can see with the full costume on and while she would normally playfully chide him for allowing himself to get so battered, she doesn't say anything of the sort. He can hear that she's speaking, but he doesn't really listen. Instead, the images of the evening play on repeat, screams and all. 

She looks at him carefully and grows frustrated at his lack of responsiveness. She goes through waves of hating this persona. She misses Nightwing more than Bruce most of the time and while both are technically still alive, only one was never present and it wasn't the ladder. She longs for days where his dimples showed and his eyes twinkled as they were meant to.

In a fluid and quick series of movements, she swiftly rips the cowl off his head and immediately casts it aside in a direction he's unaware of. At the sudden action, he immediately meets her gaze, a perfect combination of sternness and concern in their green depths. Tears of her own creep at the corners of her eyes and its the straw that breaks the camel's back. His face is bruised and bloody and while she's unsure who's blood it belongs to, she decides it's not life or death and catelogs the thought for later. It's what damage lies in his eyes that kills her.

He really looks at her. No mask, no act, nothing to prove. Then again, Dick Grayson never had anything to prove to Barbara Gordon.

Suddenly, he's not Batman and he's not even trying to be. The bright and broken blue eyes that stare back at her and submit to heartwrenching sobs are Dick Grayson's, alone, and while it guts her to see him in such a state, it was still Dick. She misses him more than she'll tell him, but he still allows himself to be seen only by her in quiet moments when they're lying together in bed after their day or eating breakfast in peace beforehand. It's enough to keep her going and it's such a little bubble of seconds or minutes that are reminiscent of what can be again when things decide to be good around them. Sex is different as everything is. Dick seems to channel every emotion he withholds during the day into her and it's a powerful thing to receive. Even though they have little time to be normal people, they still find time and sometimes it's quick and in an inappropriate closet because he's starved for human contact while other times it's in the penthouse and slow in order to appreciate moments lost to them. It's a necessary release for them even more now. She hasn't slept much either because of her deep fear of losing him to all of this, but she doesn't allow herself to tread much on those dark thoughts.

"Babs..." He trembles. "He was... Oh god. I should have..."

"Don't do that." She presses her forehead to his and kisses his nose. He relishes in the contact unlike his Batman would, but still continues down his spiral. He breathes in and shakes a little bit, but she steadies him as much as she can. She remains as solid as possible.

He's vulnerable and strong, but still very sad, as he sometimes shown after more intimate moments, only with an emphasis on the sad part. 

He's there in front of her, red-faced and shaking into her shoulder while she latches onto him and holds him as he's never been held before. She isn't even sure what she's really saying right now, because she's also in hysterics. She knows good and well that Dick is picturing Damian in the position of the poor young boy that lost his life. She knows he blames himself and Batman for the loss instead of the killer who actually did it. She understands why but longs for the days where this is passed. 

She blames herself too, though, because they're all martyrs at heart.

She can't think of what to say, a moment rare for her, but it becomes increasingly less rare as time goes on. These situations are the kind she's unprepared for and that takes a shot at her pride. Her pride is meaningless now, which is another feeling foreign to her.

His words are incorrigible now and he's simply blubbering. It wasn't just about the boy, but part of it certainly was. He was drowning as he was trying so hard to keep everyone else afloat. She, herself wasn't exactly buoyant these days, but she treads better than he does, because as much as she's had to step up, she can still remain her chosen identity. Dick always felt he was expected to amount to being Bruce, to becoming him essentially. This became more of a fear than a written destiny and these past few months have been a nightmare come true for him. Personalities worked like colors on different people. They don't always fit the mold made for you and when you wear it, it's out of place. Bruce's dark and gloomy nature worked for him, because that's who he was. Dick was meant to be optimistic and bright as he'd always been, even if there was always a twinge of sadness there too.

She layers soft kisses all over his face, tasting the salt from his tears and her own, every square inch. He can't shoulder this alone and she doesn't let him. She's tired of seeing him alone as Batman and while she understands the necessity of the act, Dick Grayson wasn't alone. She places one lasting kiss on his mouth and it somehow calms him down a notch as he relaxes into her hold.

They've taken turns holding up these past few months for each other. She's fallen onto his shoulder and likewise, but he's never broken down like this before. She laces her fingers in his hair and pushes it out of his face, using her other hand to try and wipe tears from his eyes even if her attempts are futile. He tells her he loves her for the billionth time and she's welcome to hearing it and saying it, because in times like these, nobody needs it or feels it more than them. She just wishes there wasn't always this underlying layer of despair beneath each confession. 

"I love you and I'm sorry." She whispers as he calms down a bit. "There's nothing you could have done."

"I don't want to do this anymore." He sniffles. "I just... I can't be him."

"Don't be him." 

"I'm not as good as him anyway."

"This better not be leading into a long and drawn out speech about how I "deserve" better."

"You do though, but no, that's not what this is."

"Seriously, if you ever try to pull that crap on me, I will unleash hell on you." She kisses him fiercely. "You inspire all of us. _You_ do."

"Not after tonight."

"Then they can see me for their ass kicking."

He attempts a smile weakly.

"In fact, we don't miss Bruce Wayne... Okay, that's a lie. We do miss him, but he's going to be benched for a while."

"I know." He lowered his eyes.

"We miss Nightwing, too. I know they miss Dick Grayson and you miss being him too. I understand the need to keep up this front for the purpose of protecting Gotham, but you need to let people in. I'm afraid it's killing you inside and out."

"I wish that was enough."

"That will always be enough for me."

"And for Gotham?" He's not doubting her, but hoping she's right. 

She sighs. "You lost your Batman, Dick, and basically lost your father too. He's not the same and no one can expect any of us to be the same either. You've shouldered a lot of responsibility and unfortunately we can't always juggle it. I am so sorry how unfair this all is to you, but I am so so so proud of you for stepping up and doing a damn good job of it. I know we disagree on how exactly to keep these rugrats in line, but I need you to know that we are a team and as your teammate, friend, and girlfriend, I need you to let me in more often."

 After a long pause of what was probably a mix of consideration and a concussion from the evening, he nods. "Dynamite Duo."

"You know it, baby."

"But... But tonight..." He stumbles back into darkness for a moment.

"Sometimes we lose, my love. Nothing I can say can change that. We've lost a lot, but we bats never stay down for too long, do we?"

"Thank you for being here."

"I always will be, Boy Wonder." She places a stray hair behind his ear. "Which is why I need to impart my advice."

"And what exactly has this been so far?"

"Hey!" 

He looks up at her and reaches to gently stroke her cheek with his gloved hand. She marveled how they could do so much damage with their calloused hands yet exchange the gentlest touches the next moment. They were not masters of destruction, but students of mending. Her heart melts a bit at the glimmer of brightness his gaze held. It was slight, but it was there. She wipes a tear away from his cheek.

"Come to bed. You look awful." Unfortunately, she didn't have a proper answer for all of his hurt or his struggles. All she could really do was just be there.

"I thought that was impossible for me." He was trying to joke, which was promising. He is still incredibly beautiful even beaten and battered.

"You're still cute, but much more damage and less sleep and I'm not convinced. C'mon, I could use some good cuddling tonight and I think you can too."

For as much as he knows Bruce Wayne and how to be a convincing Batman, she knows Dick Grayson too and she knows he needs a break. When he'll receive a proper one was unknown, but if she can make life as easy on him as possible, even when nothing else is complying, she has to. She picks up the pieces as he falls into shambles from picking up the mess Bruce left in his defeat, but if anyone thinks she's going to let the pieces fall, they don't know who she is.

 

 


	27. Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Selina make a decision that was a long time coming.

Bruce's broad back smacked against the cool sheets beneath him and stared in awe at the dark ceiling above him. He'd gotten used to seeing in the dark and could still make out the vague motions of the fan that spun in constant motion. He laid completely still like that for a moment, breathing in sharply through his nose. All of his senses felt like they were on fire. Aside from the heavy sensation of his adrenaline pumping, the room was rather still. He felt like they'd just moved mountains with how aggressive they'd been, but everything was as it was. Selina rustled slightly and slid up to meet him in a sloppy yet tender kiss. 

She sighed in content and snuggled her chin into his chest. Both were coated in a layer of sweat that gave the contact a sticky sensation, but it wasn't an unwelcome one. 

He tried to remember the last time he'd felt this at ease with the world. Truthfully, it was probably the last time he and Selina slept together. As one would expect after a sudden and heartfelt confession of love, this was entirely different. In fact, he suddenly became very in tune to just how different this was. It was easy to lose himself in her physically, but there was a deeper meaning to all of this and it was even more delicate then their previous undefined and unplanned encounters. 

She seemed to be on the same track as he was. 

"So what do we do now?"

He moved his chin down in an effort to catch her glance, but looked up again out of his own self-doubt. Bruce Wayne was excellent at wining and dining women for the act. He was also very proficient at the physical aspects of holding that performance to standard. Normally, these women all knew in advance he was a playboy and either left or passed out and left in the morning. He never made them do so and it certainly made the bed feel emptier than before when they did, but he knew trying to stop them was dangerous. 

He and Selina's previous endeavors were a little more personal since she knew his secret identity. However, this was the first time he'd ever brought her back to Wayne Manor. Before, they went to her apartment of the month or didn't even make it there. Plenty of public restrooms were christened by their burning need for each other. This was an on and off pattern that existed since his early days as Batman. Now, he broke the cycle and they couldn't ignore it. In a way it symbolized the crossing of his two worlds. 

"Hmm?"

"Oh come on, I can practically hear the circuits in that thick skull of yours going crazy. As much as we  _love_ to run from commitment and all of that good stuff, I think it would reflect pretty poorly on both of us to chalk all of this up to passion and call it a day. I mean... You told me you love me, Bruce."

He breathed in carefully. "I did."

"And you meant that, right? Because you don't strike me as the kind of guy who just throws that word around very often."

"I haven't used it in a romantic way before." He promised. "Ever."

"... Ever? You're no spring chicken... Or bat?"

He chuckled and it caused her head to bounce a little against his chest. "It's a meaningful thing to say."

"I won't lie to you. I've definitely used it to get what I've needed or wanted before." 

"You didn't say it back. You hesitated before all of  _this_ happened. I think that speaks volumes."

"I want you to know that even though we have this back and forth game, it's very real for me."

"It's real for me too."

"So where are we landing on the "what next" question, because while I'm not much of a cuddle-cat, if we don't do something about this now--"

"--We never will."

"And I think we're both in places where we could maybe be somewhere outside of fuck buddy territory."

"Agreed. So, we're dating."

"Exclusively, I'm guessing. Otherwise the purpose is pretty defeated."

"Of course."

"And how do we tell your kids?" She popped her head up and met his eyes. There was a vulnerability there that he wasn't used to seeing in her. He had to admit, he kind of liked it. It was nice being the person she didn't have to put a front up for all of the time. It was nice being allowed this close. He hoped she was grateful to be the closest to him as well.

"We'll have to sit them down and tell them like it is. They'll get over it. I've had worse romantic entanglements."

"That really boosts a girl's confidence."

"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "I just mean we have to expect some apprehension. Stephanie will be over the moon, because evidently she's been "shipping" us since she's joined. Dick should be fine, just happy that I'm happy. Jason will mock us relentlessly, but there will be some hidden level of support beneath it. Tim will be skeptical and interrogate the both of us and our intentions. Barbara won't like it and will likely keep a silent eye on the both of us to assure herself that this isn't all a big scheme. Cassandra will likely reserve judgment until Barbara's approval comes in. Damian will hate it. Vehemently. In fact, assassins might be involved at some point or another on his end."

"And here I always feared I'd be the one with all the heavy baggage."

"And you wonder why I've never gotten close enough to telling another woman I loved them."

"At least we don't have to meet each other's parents."

"..."

"Too dark?"

"I think my parents would have liked you."

"A thief?"

"They'd know you're much more than that."

"I've never made a good impression with parents. Including my own."

He placed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't possibly understand why."

"Mostly the stealing. Not everyone gets a huge boner from it like you did the first time you saw me."

"Ah, yes. Huge, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm leaving that one alone. Back to the kiddies, how should we break it to them? One by one or all at once?"

"Dividing and conquering might be the best strategy. I do think we should tell them before the press. I can't imagine what kind of virtual damage Barbara and Tim will do if they find out through the news media."

"Shit. I forgot about the press. God, who's going to believe billionaire Bruce Wayne is dating street trash?"

"He's not." He turned suddenly so they were facing each other. Her bright eyes glittered in the darkness.

"They don't know that. I'm not exactly a Jackie to your Kennedy? They'll see me as more of a Lewinsky to your Clinton."

"I have no shame of you whatsoever, but if you wanted to, I could see if Barbara could change your records to make your past a little more agreeable with the press."

"Presuming the brain decides to approve of our relationship."

"Cold feet?"

"No, I'm just realizing how real this all has to be." She sighed again.

"No, I mean you have really cold feet. It's summer!"

She stared at his dumbstruck face for a moment before kissing him and then bursting into laughter. "Bad circulation."

"I can think of a way or two that can get the blood flowing, maybe clear your mind a bit too."

"Ah, back in the ring, are we?"

He rolled them so he hovered over her, his figure catching a bright beam of moonlight that crept through the window. His dark blue eyes looked into her ever changing eyes in wonderment. He bent down to kiss her again, this time chaste and soft before looking at her carefully. 

"I have regretted so many things about this life. Doing what we do means we can't always have it all, but I want you. Do you want me?"

"Yes."

"Then that's it. Anything else is just a detail we'll address later."

"Normally, you're the planner and I'm the free spirit." She smirked. "Why the change?"

"Some people are worth changing for."


	28. Playlists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally just playlists I've formed for when I'm writing about the Batkids (+Dickbabs and BatCat).

**Dick Grayson**

  1. _Castle on the Hill_  by Ed Sheeran
  2. _Walking in Memphis_ by Marc Cohn
  3. _First_ by Cold War Kids
  4. _Vienna_ by Billy Joel
  5. _Use Somebody_  by Kings of Leon
  6. _Look After You_  by The Fray
  7. _Simple Song_  by The Shins
  8. _Superheroes_ by The Script
  9. _More_ by Tyrone Wells
  10. _Some Nights_  by Fun.
  11. _The Wind_ by Cat Stevens
  12. _You Get What You Give_  by New Radicals
  13. _All I Want_ by Toad the Wet Sprocket



**Barbara Gordon**

  1. _Fight Song_ by Rachel Platten
  2. _The Scientist_  by Coldplay
  3. _Overkill_  by Colin Hay
  4. _Reflection_  by Christina Aguilera
  5. _Things That Stop You Dreaming_  by Passenger
  6. _September_  by Daughtry
  7. _Slide_  by The Goo Goo Dolls
  8. _Warrior_ by Demi Lovato
  9. _Beneath the Fire_  by Evaline
  10. _She Said_  by Sundara Karma
  11. _The Rising_  by Bruce Springsteen
  12. _I Go to the Barn Because I like the_ by Band of Horses
  13. _Chocolate_  by The 1975



**Jason Todd**

  1. _Only the Good Die Young_  by Billy Joel
  2. _Bohemian Rhapsody_  by Queen
  3. _7 Years_  by Lukas Graham
  4. _All These Things That I Have Done_  by The Killers
  5. _False Pretense_  by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
  6. _You Found Me_  by The Fray
  7. _Two Fux_  by Adam Lambert
  8. _Livin' On a Prayer_  by Bon Jovi
  9. _Pumped Up Kicks_ by Foster the People
  10. _You're Gonna Go Far Kid_  by The Offspring
  11. _Like A River Runs_ by Bleachers
  12. _Carry on Wayward Son_  by Kansas
  13. _Helena_ by My Chemical Romance



**Cassandra Cain**

  1. _Angels on the Moon_  by Thriving Ivory
  2. _Fix You_  by Coldplay
  3. _The Fool on the Hill_  by The Beatles
  4. _This is Gospel_  by Panic! At the Disco
  5. _Over My Head_  by The Fray
  6. _Fighter_  by Christina Aguilera
  7. _Human_  by The Killers
  8. _Little Wonders_  by Rob Thomas
  9. _Man in the Mirror_  by Michael Jackson
  10. _Misery Business_  by Paramore
  11. _Chasing Pavements_ by Adele
  12. _Say Something_  by A Great Big World
  13. _Second Chance_ by Shinedown



**Tim Drake**

  1. _Time_ by Pink Floyd **  
**
  2. _The Freshman_  by The Verve Pipe
  3. _Under Pressure_  by Queen
  4. _Flowers for a Ghost_  by Thriving Ivory
  5. _Sleep_  by My Chemical Romance
  6. _When You Were Young_  by The Killers
  7. _Whoa Oh!_ by Forever the Sickest Kids
  8. _Winter_  by Joshua Radin
  9. _Seven Nation Army_  by The White Stripes
  10. _Better Days_  by The Goo Goo Dolls
  11. _Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year_  by Fall Out Boy
  12. _Stay With Me_  by Sam Smith
  13. _Waiting on the World to Change_  by John Mayer



**Stephanie Brown**

  1. _Daughters_  by John Mayer
  2. _Dream On_  by Aerosmith
  3. _Roar_  by Katy Perry
  4. _She's So Mean_ by Matchbox Twenty
  5. _Sit Still, Look Pretty_  by Daya
  6. _Unwritten_  by Natasha Bedingfield
  7. _What the Hell_  by Avril Lavigne
  8. _Yellow_  by Coldplay
  9. _Don't You Worry Child_ by Swedish House Mafia
  10. _The Edge of Glory_  by Lady GaGa
  11. _Shake it Off_  by Taylor Swift
  12. _I'll Follow the Sun_  by The Beatles
  13. _Breakaway_ by Kelly Clarkson



**Damian Wayne**

  1. _I'm Just a Kid_  by Simple Plan
  2. _Monkey in the Middle_  by The Merrymakers
  3. _Carry That Weight_  by The Beatles
  4. _Learn to Fly_  by Foo Fighters
  5. _Eye of the Tiger_  by Survivor
  6. _Renegades_  by X Ambassadors
  7. _Pompeii_ by Bastille
  8. _We're Not Gonna Take it_  by Twisted Sister
  9. _Stop this Train_ by John Mayer
  10. _Still Fighting it_  by Ben Folds
  11. _Another One Bites the Dust_  by Queen
  12. _Ben_  by The Jackson 5
  13. _My Wish_  by Rascal Flatts



** Bruce and Selina **

  1. _Faithfully_  by Journey
  2. _She's Always a Woman_ by Billy Joel
  3. _Walking After You_  by Foo Fighters
  4. _Iris_  by Goo Goo Dolls
  5. _Let Your Heart Hold Fast_  by Fort Atlantic
  6. _Somebody to Die For_  by Hurts
  7. _Shattered_  by O.A.R.
  8. _Once in a Lifetime_  by Landon Austin
  9. _A Thousand Years_  by Christina Perri
  10. _Secrets_  by OneRepublic
  11. _3am_  by Matchbox Twenty
  12. _Chasing Cars_  by Snow Patrol
  13. _Born to Run_  by Bruce Springsteen



**Dick and Babs**

  1. _Thirteen_  by Big Star
  2. _Perfect_  by Ed Sheeran
  3. _Check Yes, Juliet_ by We The Kings
  4. _All This Time_  by OneRepublic
  5. _Say You Won't Let Go_ by James Arthur
  6. _Drops of Jupiter_  by Train
  7. _Wherever You Will Go_ by The Calling
  8. _My Life Would Suck Without You_  by Kelly Clarkson
  9. _She's So High_  by Tal Bachman
  10. _Never Stop_  by SafetySuit
  11. _I'll Be_  by Edwin McCain
  12. _23_ by Jimmy Eat World
  13. _When We Were Young_  by Adele




	29. That Was It (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment the girls realized they loved their respective partners.

"I've got a problem." Stephanie Brown stormed into the women's locker room, aggressively removing her boots and throwing them aside before sitting down in a huff.

"... With your boots?" Barbara retorted before turning to look at a smirking Selina Kyle. Stephanie always had a tendency to be a bit dramatic when it came to the situations she got herself into. Actually, she was quite underwhelming when it came to serious situations and overwhelming when it came to mundane snafus. 

"No, not with my boots." She ripped down her hood and removed her face cover. "I think... Well, I think I'm in love with Tim Drake."

"Haven't we had this conversation before? Is it 4 years ago?"

"We were just dumb kids back then! That so doesn't count." She sighed. "I didn't know what it really meant then, but damn, I'm in deep trouble now."

"Yeah, love is a touchy thing when you're young. Literally and physically." Selina said wryly. "Obviously, you already know that though."

She scowled. "It's so stupid too."

"You guys have been good friends for the past few years and you haven't felt anything, right?" Barbara asked.

"Right."

"So... Why now?"

"Well, you should know. You and Dick were best friends for years and you felt nothing for him. There had to be a moment where  _you_ realized you loved  _him_ _."_

 _"..._ Not the point." She muttered. "Besides, there was always attraction to some extent. I was just kind of denying it."

"Until you reached a point where you realized you wanted to have his babies."

"We are not-- There are no babies!" Her face reddened a bit. 

"The kid's got a spectacular ass." Selina nodded. "I don't blame you."

"Thank you." She huffed a bit. "But we aren't talking about me. We're talking about Steph and this sudden realization."

"How about you, Selina? When did you realize you loved Bruce?"

"The PG version?"

"PLEASE!" Both girls basically shouted unanimously. 

"Like Babs said, there's always attraction to a degree. For me, it was the mystique of the Bat that reeled me in. What can I say? I'm a woman who loves to unravel her men and there wasn't anyone more wrapped up than Batman. Then, there was the chase. He didn't know who I was nor did I know him, but we both wanted to know. Kind of. I loved the sensation of setting traps for him and he loved avoiding him. I'd say we were like cat and mouse, but we weren't. We were cat and bat. But love? Well, we made it a few times before I realized that was even on the table for us. By the time I realized it, it was too late."

* * *

 

_She hated being too late to catch on to anything. Selina Kyle liked having everything mapped out perfectly and knowing the ins and outs of things. She liked figuring it out herself and the mystery was her favorite part, but she hated when everyone else knew before her. So, when they all stood in the somber living room at Wayne Manor, each looking like they wanted to crawl out of their own skin into another life where Bruce Wayne was alive, she felt a heavy weight on her chest._

_It soon evaporated and was replaced by anguish when everyone started to talk to each other. Everyone exchanged messy hugs and tears as they mourned the father, mentor and friend they all knew and loved so dearly. Anguish was replaced by anger when Alfred approached her, his kind eyes sadder than she'd ever seen them._

_"Ms. Kyle. I am so sorry."_

_"You're sorry?" She questioned. Up until this point, she'd felt like an outsider looking into to this heartbreaking tragedy that struck a close-knit family._

_"Yes." He looked at her like she was crazy for a moment, before settling back to a mournful nature. "I know that despite your complicated relationship, you loved him very much."_

_"I..."_

_"It's alright." He nodded. "And for the record, I know he loved you too."_

_Before she could even contemplate what to say to that, the butler moved on to hug Tim Drake, who was taking it all particularly hard. She didn't doubt the others were hurting just as much, but Dick was trying to remain strong for the younger ones, Babs had a way of internalizing her emotions, Cassandra was always a quiet force, Stephanie was intrinsically optimistic, and Jason was just projecting his heartache in lame jokes and angry outbursts about irrelevant things._

_Selina couldn't think about any of them right now._

_"Love him?" She whispered to herself. Ace might have heard her, but no one else showed any signs._

_Selina Kyle? In love? How could Alfred think such a thing? Moreover, how could he actually believe the Dark Knight ever loved? Let alone her?_

_Then again, no one knew Bruce like Alfred did._

_She thought back to all the times he helped her when he didn't have to, believed in her when he shouldn't have, trusted her despite her track record. Those were all incredibly foolish things to do for a man that was anything but foolish._

_God, maybe he did love her._

_That thought shot a sharp pain to her gut along with a streak of fear. She would never see him again. The traps were done, the mystery was gone, the quiet smirks and tokens of gratitude he gave her when she decided to play the right side of the fence... Gone. In fact, when you stripped all the games and jokes away and it was just the two of them, lying side by side for what felt like forever, that seemed like a lot more to lose than it did before. She'd never fight alongside him again. Gotham would lose a force of nature, but she lost the man behind it and that made her ache in ways she didn't think were possible anymore. She wasn't supposed to feel like that. Not anymore._

_She breathed heavily before stepping out into the garden. It was raining, but she didn't care._

_Soon, Dick stood next to her, holding an umbrella to shield her from the rain. He was barely a man and would be expected to carry the entire family as such. She hoped he could handle the burden._

_"I think I did love him." She sniffled and while she appreciated the kind gesture, she turned away so he didn't see her cry. It sounded weird to say out loud, even though it was almost deafened out by a crack of thunder followed shortly by a strand of lightning._

_It made it real._

_"I know." He affirmed and it made her angrier and sadder all in the same breath._

_She loved Bruce Wayne and she couldn't even have him anymore._

_That was just like her._

* * *

"Buuuuuuuut Bruce wasn't actually dead and you got to be with him!" Stephanie beamed. "Funny how things work out."

"Way to take the angst out of my story."

"Sorry, but I'm a much bigger fan of happy endings."

"Well, it took time after that to even achieve what you may refer to as a "happy" ending."

"Happier than a dead Bruce Wayne and a broody Selina Kyle."

"I'm still fairly broody."

"But he's not dead."

"Not on the outside." She teased. "Anyway, I've always liked what I couldn't have so it makes sense I realized I loved him at the worst possible moment. Now tell us, why do you love Boy Wonder 3.0?"

"Babs should go first! I want to hear how she and Nightwing realized they were soulmates."

"I hate the word "soulmates", you know that?"

"You would."

"Whatever. You're going to think it's really dumb."

* * *

 

_She'd already contemplated her feelings for the Boy Wonder several times over. Usually, she returned to the internal decision that it was best they remained friends. Why give up a friendship and partnership as powerful as theirs all because they were hormonal teenagers that would likely mess all of that up for something as superficial as sex? It was difficult at times, because Dick Grayson had truly matured his junior year of high school and Babs, herself, wasn't impervious to his charms all the time._

_But the moment she realized it was deeper, in other words, the moment she realized she was incredibly screwed, was just another night on patrol._

_She felt like utter shit._

_"You okay, BG?" He asked as he noticed she was swinging from rooftop to rooftop with a bit more haste than usual._

_"Yeah, I'm good. I think we're good for the night, Robin, I might head back."_

_"Okay, are you sure you're feeling alright?" He asked like he already knew and it irked her how well he seemed to know her. Then again, everything and anything was irking her in the particular moment and she knew she had to get back home before she lashed out unfairly._

_Unfortunately, she had to stop back at the Batcave in order to retrieve her civilian clothes, this way no one saw Batgirl sneaking into the Commissioner's apartment, namely his daughter's bedroom. That might draw some attention._

_When she was in the bathroom of the cave, she opened the cabinet to see if they had any basic Advil for this dire moment to hold her over. What she found made her jaw drop. In the cabinet was a box of both tampons and pads alongside a huge container of Advil. A sticky note was stuck to the bottle._

_"I promise I wasn't snooping, but last month when you had to make a run to the pharmacy in the middle of patrol, I realized it was pretty stupid for us not to have supplies back at the cave. I had no idea they made so many different shapes and sizes. Hope you're feeling better~ DG"_

_Relief was her initial response, since this was a lifesaver at this particular moment._

_It didn't really surprise her that he noticed her cycle or anything like that. They were detectives and it was natural to pick up on that kind of thing when you spend so much time with someone, but the very fact that he felt bad because they didn't have a supply for her in the mostly masculine quarters melted her heart in a way she couldn't chalk up entirely to hormones. Not only that, but her personally saw to getting them himself. She laughed a little bit picturing him standing in the supermarket, trying to figure out which size or brand to buy. He cared so much and without expecting anything in return. Ever._

_She flipped the note over to see a poorly drawn smiley face and she snorted._

_"Gotta love him."_

_As she clutched a tampon in her hand, her eyes bugged out. Sure, no one else outside the confines of the bathroom heard her confession, but she heard it. She hadn't even thought about it and Barbara Gordon thought about everything. It shouldn't have surprised her and she couldn't explain why a box of tampons brought out such an emotional revelation, but she did. Would she tell him? Maybe, but for now, she had to sit on the fact that she loved him._

_Truthfully, she couldn't get over the thoughtfulness of the act and waited for him to get back from patrol. He was surprised to see her there, but without explaining her actions, she grabbed him by his collar and kissed him fervently. She didn't expect it as much as him, but he followed along with it, not knowing quite what he did to deserve such a greeting. They'd made out on prom night and kissed chastely a few times since then, but Barbara Gordon kept him on his toes. Ironically, she probably would have had sex with him that night had it not been for her current state, but compensated as best she could._

_The reason he was so dumbfounded was because he didn't get any of that stuff to try and woo her or anything and truthfully, that's why she loved him._

* * *

 

"Why didn't you stock your own supply before that?" Selina asked.

"Listen, when I joined, it was just Dick and Bruce. This was a boys only club and even though they didn't slate me for being a girl, that didn't make this the equal place it was now. I didn't want them to think of me as weaker or anything like that so I usually kept stuff in a bag... A bag that I'd lost after a mission."

"Does Dick know you fell in love with him over a box of tampons?" Steph asked.

"Okay, obviously it was more than just that, but that was the tipping point."

"That's a no." Selina smirked. "Not exactly the most romantic story."

"Yes, well, love isn't always about sweeping and tragic moments, thank you very much."

"You did warn us, to be fair."

"Like I said, I didn't want to make myself seem that different from the boys. I was afraid if I asked for stuff like that, they'd think I was less than them or weaker on some level. Dick's doing that not only quelled that fear, but he showed how thoughtful he was and proved to me that it wasn't just physical attraction that made me into him at that time. He was growing up and so was I and I wasn't as afraid to admit that."

"And then you gave him a handy over a box of tampons."

Her cheeks turned pink. "Yes, well, I was very caught up in a moment."

"It's romantic in it's own right, Babs." Stephanie assured. "It's better than my story."

"Go on."

"Well, it was an hour ago..."

* * *

 

_Stephanie realized that in spite of how well they worked together, she hadn't really worked with Tim in over a year. They were so busy doing their own thing most of the time and it was confusing to her how she'd never noticed until this point. They sat on the rooftop of a Starbucks, because Tim was an addict and needed his caffeine boost if he was going to be able to make it through the night. She doubted breaking into Starbucks was remotely okay to the police, but they kept their streets clean so it couldn't have been worse than what they were protecting Gotham from._

_He handed her a cup._

_"My favorite blend." She mused._

_"Yeah, it's why your growth is stunted, probably."_

_"Hm?"_

_"Me. You drank a lot more coffee when you were with me."_

_"Yes, well, this is delicious and totally worth it."_

_"That's my mantra too."_

_They sat in prolonged silence for a while before Tim finished off his coffee (he simply took it black now with extra shots of caffeine) and tossed the cup in a nearby trashcan._

_"I wanted to thank you." She looked at him carefully. "For a while ago... When I was... You know. You were really there for me and I never properly thanked you for it. I haven't seen you much to be fair, but it still holds true."_

_He stared out into the city. "I wanted to say a lot more."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. I wanted... Well, it doesn't matter now."_

_"So say it."_

_He sighed. "I wanted to say that if your baby's father didn't ever show up that I- Well, we, as a collective whole, would step up."_

_"And why would that be a weird thing to say?"_

_"Because I didn't want you to think I was trying to step in and control things. I know you hate that, because your dad's like that."_

_"Yeah." She said softly. "Well, that's really sweet."_

_He smiled. "You're one of my closest friends and I'd do anything to protect you."_

_"Yeah? Would you quit coffee for me?"_

_"Yes." He said without second thought. "And I wouldn't do that for anyone else."_

* * *

 

"And that was it?" Selina asked. "Not the kid comment, but the coffee."

"Tim really does love coffee." Babs mused. "That is pretty serious."

"I don't know what I'm going to do. This ruins everything. I've finally gotten back my life after everything that happened and here we are all over again. I feel like I'm 13."

"Except maybe this time around you're ready for it. I wasn't ready for it when I realized I loved Dick-- stop smirking, Selina."

She laughed. "Nor was I anywhere near emotionally secure enough to take on my broodiness and the Batman's."

"So I love him." She sighed. "He said he'd quit coffee for me for God's sake!"

"That's not unromantic at all." Babs frowned. "Mine was literally about my period and you're trying to say your realization is less romantic?"

"Yeah..." Steph admitted. "Maybe that was a stretch, but what am I supposed to do? He doesn't even know."

"Well, that just means you've got a healthy amount of "Shall I tell him or not" time before you make that decision. Though if I'm not mistaken, I think he might just love you too." Selina smiled. "This is getting a little too sappy for me if I'm honest."

"Same." Babs grinned. "I kind of want to go beat up some bad guys."

"I could go for that." Stephanie agreed. "It's nice to know we're all really moronic about our feelings."

"It's the Bat way." 

 


	30. That Was It (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the boys fell in love with the girls.

"So, remember when Steph and I first broke up all those years ago?"

"You cried about it for months." Bruce nodded. "How can I forget?"

"I didn't-" He started to deny, but Dick raised an eyebrow at him in skepticism and he decided that wasn't important. "Do you guys remember why we broke up?"

"You two were pretty hot and heavy for tweenie boppers." 

"Says the guy who's dating the woman he's been in love with since he was 12."

Dick raised his hands in defense, but no one could miss the smug look on his face. Reminders that he was with Barbara Gordon always elicited this kind of reaction. "To be fair, it was a long con."

"What about cleaning blood off the streets for the GCPD sparked this conversation?" Bruce seemed the opposite of intrigued about discussing their feelings. Go figure.

"I did it with Steph."

Bruce's eyes widened in horror while Dick slapped him on the back in pride and then his face morphed into slight discomfort, likely at the fact that Stephanie was very much like a sister to him. It was a complicated reaction.

"WHAT?" He bellowed.

Tim wrinkled his eyebrows, before growing pale in realization. "Not that "it"! I meant cleaning the streets. I did that with her."

Bruce released a breath. "If you ever do anything remotely sexual, never tell me."

Tim caught him shoot a glare to Dick, who merely shrugged. 

"Look, I was drunk. I didn't mean to text you. Do you really think I wanted to hear "the talk" from you again?"

"Anyway, why are you bringing this up, Tim?"

"Because I think I love her again."

"Say what?" Dick's pitch fluctuated dramatically, but it was obviously for a sarcastic effect.

Tim ignored him. "I don't know. When did you guys realize you were in love?"

Bruce huffed. "Do we have to-"

"Well, if you MUST know..." Dick beamed as he was quite eager to tell this story.

* * *

_He was only nine when he started at Gotham Academy. He'd been without his parents for almost a year at this point and had spent a few months at a safe house before Bruce Wayne took him in. In other words, not only did he lose his parents, but he was no longer allowed to participate in the home schooling set by his mother. He no longer had his friends from the circus to lean on or talk to. He no longer had his outlet of performing their act when he got stressed. Then again, he wasn't sure he could do that one... That final act._

_Kids were products of the world except significantly more openly honest. They were cruel. He was labelled as a charity case there. No matter how many times Bruce or Alfred assured him he wasn't, he couldn't help but feel less every time someone sneered in his direction. He was incredibly skinny and small due to genetics and his more recent loss of appetite. Family dinners weren't the same without them and his only solace was that Bruce Wayne knew exactly how he felt about that and let him grieve how he wanted. Alfred brought food up to his room instead._

_Still, even if he didn't feel like eating, he wouldn't mind sitting with someone during lunch. Everyone pointed or stole looks at him, whispering about how he didn't deserve his money since it wasn't even his nor would he last very long here before being snapped like a twig. One kid dumped mashed potatoes all over his head, claiming he looked hungry and that he needed some force feeding. Dick didn't move, just let himself grow angrier and grow sadder._

_This was all pre-Robin, of course. Bruce was still in the process of designing a suit and thinking of a way to present the idea to the boy. He needed an outlet and he needed to get justice for his parents' death so he didn't become like Bruce, so he didn't continue on the path to bitterness that he was quickly approaching. Bruce couldn't take down bullies the way he could criminals, so he decided to stick in his wheelhouse. Whether or not this was a great parental decision, was never determined, but ultimately, Dick's avoidance of confrontation led him the right way._

_He started eating in the library, sneaking a bagged lunch in, which was reminiscent of the simpler life he once knew so well. The contents of it were worth more than some birthday dinners he had in his past, but he appreciated the sentiment. Alfred was the one person he wished he always had._

_Well, until he found a lunch guest._

_She said nothing at all when she sat across from him with her own lunch. He looked around at all the empty tables in the corner of the library. She had a book opened in front of her so maybe she hadn't even noticed his presence. Regardless, he was more than happy to have her. Everything about her appearance was clean-cut and crisp. She had bright red hair that went slightly past her shoulders. Her uniform, though absent of added accessories unlike most of the girls there, was ironed flat and without flaw. When he looked down, her mary-janes basically sparkled even in the flickering lighting fixture above them._

_He tapped his pencil curiously against the table before clearing his throat. She was deeply engrossed in her book and it had been so long for him since another person his age was this close without ridiculing or judging him that he took mental note of every detail about her._

_His thought process was squashed when a big hand slammed down on the piece of cake Alfred packed for him._

_"Well, if it isn't Gotham's resident charity cases, Scholarship and the Orphan." Vic Crane, a large 7th grader and big proponent of all the grief he received, sniggered even though he didn't have an audience. "You know the rules, no eating in the library."_

_Dick's eyes widened as he picked the cake up and raised it to slam it over his head. The redhead, previously referred to as "Scholarship", stood to her feet. She was taller than Dick, but much shorter than Crane. Her eyes were a piercing green from beyond her thick black specs and they looked indignantly at the large boy._

_"You so much as get a crumb of that cake on him and we are going to have a problem." Her voice was calm and collect, but full of warning._

_"What are ya gonna do, Scholarship? Bring Daddy in to arrest me? I bet you love handcuffs you wild-"_

_He made an attempt to smash the cake on her instead of Dick, but this mystery girl was much quicker than the likes of Vic Crane and grabbed the arm that held the cake, whirled him around and bent it so that he was forced to lean over the table behind her. He was quivering beneath her, but she gripped him like he wasn't a skyscraper in comparison to her. While barely changing the expression on her face, she began speaking calmly again._

_"You're on the baseball team, right, Vic?"_

_He nodded quickly and winced as she willed his arm to move a little higher, despite its natural reach._

_"And this is your pitching arm, yeah?"_

_Another vigorous nod._

_"Okay, good. So here's what we're going to do. You're going to stop projecting the psychological warfare that is your home on people smaller than you and I'm not going to break your arm in ways that will heal so you never pitch again, okay?"_

_He whined a little as she tightened her hold after he didn't respond immediately._

_"Okay, okay, fine! Let me go!"_

_"Apologize." She said firmly._

_"I'm... I'm sorry!"_

_When she let him go, he gave her and Dick one look before running away. "You freaks deserve each other."_

_She sighed and picked up her book. Her eyes softened as she looked at him. "You okay?"_

_Dick realized she must have been talking to him and swallowed. "Yeah. You're awesome, you know that?"_

_She smiled brightly and stuck out her hand. "Barbara Gordon. Some jerks call me "Scholarship" here since I'm on a Wayne scholarship. You're Dick, right?"_

_"Aka the Orphan... For obvious reasons."_

_She shook her head. "Believe it or not, there are good people at this school."_

_"Don't I know it." He stared at her in wonderment._

_"No room for negotiation on the whole "Dick" thing, huh?"_

_He shook his head and her smile widened._

_"Good. Own it."_

_And while it would take a few years to understand the weight of what it meant or how he meant it, Dick Grayson thought for the very first time in the singular decade he lived about someone that wasn't directly related to him, "I love her"._

* * *

"I was kidding about the 12 comment you know. You're meaning to tell me you were 9 when you first realized you loved Babs?"

"I didn't really have a crush on her until I was 12, because hormones and all that stuff, but I remember that day clear as can be and while I was far from understanding romantic love on any level, I knew in some way that I definitely loved her. She was my hero, after all.

"Ever tell her that?"

"I'm saving it for the vows." He teased and Bruce almost dropped the weight he was lifting. Dick shook his head in panic.

"Kidding! I haven't... Sorry about the scare."

"You guys are killing me."

"Tell us about when you first realized you loved Selina." Dick probed.

"Will it get you to shut up about all of this?"

"Probably not." Tim shrugged. "We might talk a little less."

"Fine..." He growled.

* * *

_There was always an attraction between the Cat and the Bat. That could not be mistaken all across Gotham. Bruce was merely in his first year of detective work. The last thing he needed was any kind of distraction. Boy, was the notorious cat burglar a distraction in ways he hated to admit. She climbed around Gotham to purposefully ruffle his feathers these days (if bats had feathers, anyway) and always got his goat in the end. They never did anything that crossed a line, but it was only a matter of time it seemed. He willed against these urges, but he was still human in spite of what Alfred might think at times and nothing was off the table._

_It didn't help that he was on edge about this troubling case with Penguin. He needed to unwind._

_What was he doing here?_

_She waited for him on the roof, a shit-eating grin on her face that told him she knew how badly he wanted her. It was pouring rain and the streets of Gotham never slept, but all he could hear was his own beating heart. He was supposed to be better than this, but he never accounted for someone of her kind. He never counted on someone that zigged when he zagged, yinned when he yanged, did this when he wanted that. It was complicated._

_"What brings you here, big guy?" The nickname made him quiver a bit under his kevlar, and he tightened his jaw. He was exceptional at hiding how he felt all day, but all he wanted to do was release the tension in his shoulders._

_"I knew you'd be here." And it was true, he did._

_"I'm always here. I'm everywhere." She supplied, which also seemed to ring truer and truer as his time of knowing her extended._

_"This is your apartment. Don't worry, I haven't checked names or anything of the sort. I have no idea who you are."_

_"Even though you could." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why prolong the game when you can end it all?"_

_"There's no denying you're a useful source in Gotham for me. No one knows this city like you do."_

_"Is that all I am, Bats, a source?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes flickered away from him._

_"That's what I want to know. Are you?"_

_"Newspapers wouldn't exactly say that. Detective Gordon probably wouldn't either. The elites I rob definitely wouldn't."_

_"I don't care about their opinions."_

_"And you care about mine?"_

_"You know this city and somehow, you know me better than any of them."_

_"I don't have a name or a face."_

_"They don't have a real one, not really, because that is the mask."_

_"And the problem."_

_"And the problem." He confirmed._

_"But with me, you can be as shitty as you want, because I'm pretty shitty."_

_"I beg to differ."_

_"When we fight, do you really think about white picket fences or anything of the sort or do you think of fucking me hard and good against the nearest wall? Because you can't be both. You can't have both in this industry. Like everything in life, you have to choose."_

_"I don't think it's as black and white as that."_

_"Says the vigilante."_

_"From what I can tell you can be much more than the petty thief you play. Maybe you want the white picket fence."_

_"I'm a city girl."_

_"So all you want is the ladder, nothing more?"_

_"We can't have much more. When you're like me and you've been raised to take what you can get, you learn that you still usually don't get much."_

_"What about what you deserve?"_

_"I deserve to be fucked." She pressed closer to him, pressing her hand hot against his crotch and massaging him through his suit. "And you want to."_

_"You deserve the picket fence too." He tried to maintain levity despite her ministrations._

_"I've broken too many of those to agree with that statement."_

_"Fences can be fixed."_

_"Burnt bridges can't."  He wasn't sure how she managed to work her way under the batsuit, but she was a professional thief and made it her business to break into locks and latches. His breathing hitched as she rubbed his entire length up and down._

_"Or maybe... You're afraid."_

_"Oh Batsy..." She smiled wickedly as she began moving in a rhythm. Even though they disagreed on most fundamentals and were enemies at times, she could see he needed this. "I've gone toe to toe with the likes of much worse than you."_

_"And you won't try being good."_

_"Why? I'm so good at being bad." She whispered in his ear and he gasped, trying desperately to resist the urge of thrusting into her hand despite the pounding in his head._

_"Because you're more than this."_

_"Just because you had a bad night and couldn't save someone, doesn't mean you have to go and try to save me based on whatever you think you see in me."_

_"Maybe. And what do you see in me?"_

_"A guy who's had a really tough night." She began tunneling him rapidly and he clutched a railing to steady himself. "Who does a lot of good he's never thanked for."_

_"I don't need to be thanked."_

_"But you deserve it." She quipped and he couldn't hold on any longer and felt his release. A wave washed over him and everything else in the universe, briefly wasn't in shambles as it was before he'd reached euphoria. His eyes fluttered open and looked in the place of where she was, finding she'd already disappeared into the night. He knew better than to hang around, but stared at where she'd been standing._

_Maybe he couldn't save her, but he desperately wanted her to save herself._

_He loved her. Was it going to be forever? Maybe. Maybe not, but in that moment, when she was everything he needed her to be, he loved her._

* * *

"LA LA LA TOO MUCH INFORMATION!" Dick covered his ears. "Thanks for scarring me mentally even more than I already am!"

"You fell in love over a handy? Seriously?" Tim gagged.

"I wasn't exactly eager to tell it. You pushed, I spoke."

"That's when you lie and say it was over coffee or something."

"Please clean my brain of that." Dick sighed. "Tell me why you think you love Steph again."

"Simple." Tim sighed. "I never stopped."

"But Cassie..."

"I dated her, yes, but she wasn't Stephanie. No one ever has been. I just realized all of this tonight, because... Well, she kissed me."

"And what did you do?" Dick asked.

His smile turned smug. "I don't think you want to know."

"Oh God!"

"We went and got coffee." He laughed. "And I realized there's no one I would want to spend forever trying to order with. Ever."

"This is all a big euphemism. I know it, but I'll accept it. Power to ya, brother."

"Keep the euphemisms just that, Tim." Bruce stared at him.

"You should talk!"

"He did, that's the problem." 

"I can't believe one kiss did all of that for you." Bruce smiled. "You're a real romantic, huh?"

"I feel like I've been waiting forever without knowing it, ya know? It's all rushing back. One kiss and that was it."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I don't really romantically ship Tim and Steph that hard, so it's a bit harder for me to write them as a couple. It's one of those background relationships that I'm mostly indifferent to, but I didn't want this to be just BatCat and DickBabs.


	31. Sunday Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson really is a lucky guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit NSFW there, because why not?

Dick Grayson was by no means a morning person. Save for Christmas morning, he was almost always the last person out of bed. Waking him up for school had always been a task that only the great Alfred Pennyworth could meet with moderate success. For all the energy he expelled during the day, he could never demonstrate any of that before 11 am. He liked to blame the late hours required of him as Robin, but even before he was taken in by Bruce, he was never eager to hope out of bed. He could sleep for 24 hours and not blink an eye over it. He was constantly sleep deprived. 

Growing up and having to get himself out of bed for work was a difficult transition, especially since he found himself staying out later and later as Nightwing than he had as Robin. There was more responsibility attached to being Nightwing than Robin and as much as he appreciated being out on his own, the lack of sleep could be rather daunting. 

Barbara Gordon, on the other hand, transitioned into adulthood beautifully with her tendency to be up as early as humanly possible, coffee at hand, and sufficiently getting more done by noon than Dick could accomplish in an entire week. She wasn't exactly a morning person either by definition. She was a grouch in the morning without a hefty amount of caffeine and she set her alarm several times to force herself out of bed. The truth was, Oracle was a necessity 24/7 and she needed to make herself available much more frequently. Plus, with all that was constantly buzzing around her brain, she felt pretty useless if she wasn't getting anything done. 

She hung up pretty late too, especially after she started donning the cape and cowl again at night. He wondered where she stored her reserve energy for those nights and how she managed to constantly be diligent and on her toes for the next thing coming. During their rare moments of down time, however, she insisted they do absolutely nothing and shut themselves away from humanity.

"No screens and no jeans." She'd say as she stated that the dress code for these evenings was clothing with an elastic waistband. 

Yeah, they occasionally went out, but more to keep up with public appearances than to fulfill any actual need to see Gotham at night. He didn't mind seeing her in a pretty dress when those nights arrived though. 

She still didn't sleep in when she could, not by his definition, anyway. He'd wake up completely disoriented as per usual, with the sun already high in the sky and breakfast ending at most of the local restaurants, and she would be up and tackling the day. Dick always joked that it was a crime how late his body demanded he sleep in when he loved breakfast food as much as he did. 

In other words, he never woke up before her. If she didn't usually fall asleep before him, he would be certain his girlfriend never actually slept and operated on batteries or solar energy. She'd been that way since they were kids and he remembered asking if she was a napper considering how much she took on in their school days. 

_It only took one of those Saturdays where the world almost ended about seven times across the eastern seaboard. Gotham was, of course, the center of despair as Scarecrow had managed to unleash his most recent development of fear toxin on the city, encasing millions in the puffy cloud of pure terror. Hundreds were killed as people were drawn to acting like savages in weak attempts to dispel their greatest fears that they were all hallucinating. Scarecrow managed to get in good with Penguin, who was teaming up with Two-Face, and utilized their gangs to increase chaos and difficulty to get ahold of the antidote. With Batman being away with the League, it was up to the rest of the family to take over and try and salvage the remnants of Gotham City. The Suicide Squad was used as well, but misbehaved, resulting in Dick receiving some much unneeded cracked ribs. Victor Zsasz along with several other Arkham serial killers were released as well, increasing the death toll exponentially. Luckily, Barbara was able to enlist the Birds of Prey and Dick brought on the Titans for additional efforts and ultimately they all came out on top. Unfortunately to do so, they had to play into Riddler's games to acquire the antidote and free the city of their burdens just before the sun rose._

_After patrolling the streets and assisting the GCPD in any way they could muster, both stumbled into her apartment half awake, beaten, and battered. In spite of their aching bodies and heavy eyelids, both individually forced themselves to take proper showers if just in a poor attempt to wipe away the events of the day. They'd be cleaning up this one for a while and people would be hurting as a result of it for who knew how long, but they had to try and move on. He fell beside her on her bed, wincing as he remembered the swing Harley Quinn took at his side. He half-expected her not to be awake, but felt her small hand carefully touch where a large bruise was already forming._

_"It's nothing." He whispered quietly._

_Ignoring him, she lifted up his t-shirt and felt for any eternal bleeding. He watched her carefully during her ministrations. They'd been playing doctor for each other for as long as she'd been in the game with him. He distantly remembered a time when they were in high school and he had to administer stitches to a wound on the middle of her back. 16 year old Dick could barely keep his hands straight in part because he was nervous he'd mess up and partially because she hadn't been wearing a bra and that territory of their relationship hadn't yet been explored. He snapped back into reality when she seemed somewhat satisfied with the results and she laid back again. Her eyes were wide open and he could relate in the sudden wakefulness. They'd seen a lot and it was just catching up to them. You never truly get used to seeing people slaughter each other mercilessly._

_"What a day at the office, huh?" She murmured finally, attempting to maintain some levity._

_"You can say that again. I only got a whiff of that toxin and I-- Well, I'm just glad none of it was real."_

_A ghost of a smile danced on her lips and she rolled over to face him. She reached out and stroked his face, letting her hand slip back and run her fingers through his dark damp hair. He knew she would never ask him what he saw when he caught the remnants of Scarecrow's gas, but the fear in his eyes when she looked at him afterwards, the way he shook and crumbled to his knees, she knew it was scarring. She just wanted to be present for him and as much as sleep gnawed at her, she couldn't find it in her to close her eyes._

_"I'm glad you're alive." He inched closer to her so their noses were touching. He said it like he was just realizing they were both, in fact, quite alive and fairly well all things considering. "I'm glad I'm alive."_

_Her hand drifted down to his jaw, lazily running her thumb across another bruise that was coming into fruition. Her stare was fierce and alert, almost completely absent of the exhaustion that certainly burrowed beneath the surface. He could feel her pulse quicken and as he thought about the images of her dead that haunted him when he was hallucinating, his own heart beating at a mile a minute. Tears burned his eyes._

_"I'm here." She was pressed against him now, but her voice was hoarse too, as if she was also questioning their mortality. It was difficult not to do that when they'd seen each other almost die countless times in one evening, in addition to watching others brutally and blindly kill those that were precious to them. "You're here and I'm here and we're safe. We get to live to see another day and kick some more ass."_

_He swallowed. "I know what this life means and I wouldn't change it, but after everything with my parents, Jason, Wally, even Bruce... I can't lose you too."_

_"If I have anything to say about it, you won't." It's the only answer she can honestly give him, because he was right. This life meant signing away any guarantees of security or definitiveness. Plans were near impossible to make when impending death was always knocking at their doors. Life and happiness were ephemeral and they'd seen this countless times in their short lives._

_It was debilitating at best and she wanted anything but to forget this fact; at least for a little while._

_She kissed him, soft and slow with nothing but the pure intentions of reminding him that she was still there and presently not going anywhere. He responded tentatively, sighing in content against her mouth as they shift so she's lying on her back. It stayed like that for a while. Its cautious touches and innocuous kisses, which is why neither was quite sure who escalated things first. It doesn't take long for the sense of urgency to set in again and regardless of how much his head and body screamed from fatigue, Dick found himself never more desperate to touch her, to be closer to her. She was feeling that too, grasping at him everywhere and twisting her tongue against his hungrily. Somehow, even in her rapidity, she was still mindful of any of the wounds that littered his body. He still felt them with every overt movement, but ignored them as well as his dire need for sleep. It seemed like he had forever to sleep and so little time with her._

_Notwithstanding with his exhaustion, he was already hard and vigilant against her leg. She rolled against him, eliciting a sharp hiss from him as he savagely attacked her throat with his mouth. She was positive he was going to leave several marks, but this along with so many other normal and natural thoughts were so far away from her in that moment. If anything, the idea of having good marks in alignment with the bad excited her in a twisted way. All she cared about was having him on her and longed for more. Fast wasn't fast enough right now, because time seemed to be fleeting._

_He stuck a hand between them and slipped beneath the waistband of her pajamas and underwear to feel her soaked core. He ran his thumb across her clit nimbly in a fast and steady swirl of movements to gage where she was. She briefly considered letting him get her off right there, but ached for him between her legs and removed his hand quickly. He looked at her quizzically for a moment before she moved to strip him of his shirt and toss it on the floor._

_Clothes were cast in various different directions unknown to them and the burgeoning heat and need between the two of them is only intensified by this fact. They'd never been the couple to forego foreplay and dive right in. They were anything but innocent between the sheets and typically took plentiful amounts of whatever time they were given to enjoy this truth. The present was unlike anything they'd ever experienced before. They'd had post-mission sex before and while it felt great, it was never so life-affirming. It went beyond arousal or sexual needs, but was about presence and absolute assurance that they still have tomorrow. They overcame the trials and tribulations of yet another near death experience and could continue to persist._

_He tugged the sheet over their heads and nudged her legs open. He crawled between them and hovered over her. She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss that caused his dick to twitch as it brushed against her inner thigh. She pulled at hair and growled a bit as he pulled away, but was satiated again when he was just readjusting them._ _Angling her left leg up and around him, she took him in her hand and guided him to her heat. He groaned when she rubbed his tip against her and after steadying himself, the burning desire boiling inside him takes hold and he presses into her entirely. It was her turn to groan in response and this only charged him to continue, wasting little time to hurriedly thrusting as her soft moans encourage him to move faster._

_It was a messy and uneven pace, with zero rhyme or rhythm, but she meets him with every momentous push and only increases in measure. It was rough and uneasy on their tired bodies, but somehow seems and feels right to them. He gripped her hips to provide some traction, pushing as deep as he could go and then pulling entirely out. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades and gasped for air in the scorching environment they'd made for themselves. The sun began to rise over the city and creep through the window, but she could pay no mind to it as the intensity inside her only grew. They moved so hastily and powerfully that the sheet was effectively knocked off of them._

_Somewhere along the line, they interlocked fingers against the cool pillow beside them and squeeze hard in an effort to push against the pressure that's built between them. The angle at which they're positioned caused him to rub against her clit with every thrust so it was to no surprise that reached her peak first with his name and a slew of profanity on her lips. She let her climax pool over her rather slowly, which contrasted the expeditious pace they'd been riding this entire time. As she vibrated against him, it all became too much for him and he caught his orgasm with a shout and spilled into her before slumping on top of her for a moment._

_They stayed like that for a bit, relishing in being at maximum proximity to each other before he slipped out of her and flopped next to her on the bed. He gently ran a hand across what would later become a scar against her stomach._

_"It's nothing." She mimicked him softly and he was relieved at the levity in her voice._

_He kissed her and this time it stayed chaste even as he was pressed against her. When they separated, she nuzzled his nose for good measure and yawned shortly afterwards. Ignored drowsiness set in as they were feeling significantly lighter than they had a mere minutes ago. They shifted into more comfortable positions, pulling the blankets up and she snuggled against him. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head and incoherently mumbled against her hair. In one way or another, she knew he told her he loved her and murmured it back before finally giving way to much needed slumber. Her last distant thought was that she never set an alarm._

He smiled sleepily as he rolled over to get a better view of her. It was difficult to do so, as she was wrapped in all of the blankets and facing the opposite direction. His gaze caught view of her digital clock and he swore his eyes almost bulged out of his head when he saw it read 1:35 pm. This wasn't all that impressive of a feat for him, but for the sleeping redhead beside him, he assumed it was impossible. In fact, he couldn't think of another time he would ever get to watch her sleep like this.

Anyone could tell that her mind was always running at a mile a minute, but in sleep, she seemed so peaceful by the way her back moved up and down with ease. In brighter daylight, he could see the marks and scars more clearly (including a few he might have given her on her neck) and winced at the horror that was last night. It was possible that they fell into each other out of a healthy combination of fear of losing one another and pure fatigue, but he was glad they did. Scars, bedhead, and all, she was absolutely stunning.

All Dick could think about was how lucky he was. He'd get up to make her breakfast if his cooking wasn't more of an insult than a flattering gesture. Instead, he decided they'd ordered in and make time for themselves. Life was too short and he was positive that they'd be back on the streets to fight the good fight once again. No one ever knew what that would entail, but he was damn sure he would have time with his girl beforehand. As he propped himself up on one arm to admire her for a few more fleeting seconds before she rolled over. He grinned at the thought of her seeing how late it was, but said grin was wiped off his face when her hand came around and flopped against his cheek with a slap.

This unconscious notion caused him to wince and her to wake up in confusion. Her sea glass green eyes were cloudy with slumber and her wavy locks were unkempt and in her face. She pushed them out of the way and glared at Dick. He forgot she wasn't pleasant when she woke up either. Then again, how would he really know this if he'd never experienced it firsthand before?

"God, you're even strong while sleeping." He muttered as he rubbed the red area.

It took her a moment to settle on the situation at hand. She yawned before furrowing her brow.

"Did I just slap you in the face?"

"Yes." 

"Why?"

"I don't know, Babs. You were asleep." He was fighting with himself not to laugh at that moment.

"Were you staring at me while I slept like that creepy vampire?"

"Do not compare me to Edward Cullen."

"Whatever you say, Creep Wonder."

"No apology for the slap?"

"Hmm, my legs really hurt from last night... Er, this morning. We'll call it even."

"You were in a high speed chase with Mad Hatter. You fell like thirty feet at one point onto hard concrete. That is not my fault."

"And you decided it was a good time to sex me up afterwards. I still blame you." She was trying to maintain serious composure as well.

"Um, you weren't exactly submissive either. Look at my back." He turned over to show her scratch marks on his toned shoulders.

"I _know_ you don't want to start comparing marks, because even though I haven't looked in a mirror yet, and even through my delirium I have distinct memories of you being quite carnivorous. Killer Croc would be impressed."

He couldn't resist the urge to smirk as his eyes flickered to her neck. "Fine, I concede, BG. You win."

"I usually do." She also smirked and she wrapped her arms around his neck to meet him for a proper kiss.

"Good morning." He whispered against her mouth.

"It's 2 pm, Dick."

"I'm glad you noticed. I was ready to feel for a pulse before you bitch-slapped me."

She laughed and stroked the back of her hand against his cheek. "I never sleep in. You have to understand I'm unaware of the protocol."

"For next time, slapping your boyfriend isn't usually included in that."

"Well, okay, since you're such an expert, what is the typical routine?"

"Hmm..." He pursed his lips against hers. "Stay in bed until the need for food and drink becomes absolutely necessary, eat junk food, and alternate between watching really shitty movies with  _not_ watching the really shitty movies."

"Wow, that sounds like a full and compact day that requires all of my attention and leaves zero room for any real responsibility."

"It does."

"So, what do we start with, oh wise one?"

"I have a few ideas." His grin grew devilish as he backed up and disappeared under the covers.

 


	32. Burning the Midnight Oil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babs finds herself a bit overworked and overwhelmed... Even if she'll never admit it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Dick/Babs central story, because for some reason they're apparently my muse right now.

She'd run her eyes over the footage so many times she lost count, which was saying something since she could count unnaturally high. When she was on a stakeout and couldn't talk over the comms, she'd pass the time and keep her brain alert by seeing how high she'd be able to mentally reach. Another looming and mysterious world-ending threat was hanging over the horizon and it wasn't like the Justice League was around to lend their resources. She had a feeling the last time she saw Bruce that he knew something was coming. She, Dick and Kal all suspected this was why the League was in space somewhere.

That didn't mean the Young Justice team didn't need to know what they were up against and according to the ransom note they received, an individual had been tailing all of them. Most of the founding members as well as she had stepped away from Young Justice in order to allow the next generation to step up, but they were strongly needed again. Plus, being off the team put them in this weird place where they were in the middle: not quite Young Justice and not quite Justice League (even if both she and Nightwing had invitations to be a part of the League whenever they wanted). 

She decided to go over the footage outside Wally's apartment frame for frame again from all angles to see if there was even a sign of a shadow, a reflection, a sound... Anything. 

When she raked her fingers through her long red hair, which was currently weakly thrown up in a loose ponytail, her tuned senses gathered that someone else entered the room. Her tired eyes shot to her digital clock to see if it was a normal rising time, but 4:07 am glared back at her.

"Where's Timmy?" Yawned her boyfriend, which made sense since they were in the lair. Honestly, she forgot where she was in the midst of her tunnel vision towards the monitors around her. She smiled a little when she felt him press a kiss in her hair.

"Oh I sent him to bed a while ago. He was practically a zombie."

"You don't say?" He quirked his lips as he leaned against the table. In her right mind, she would have appreciated the sight of Dick Grayson shirtless in sweats that hung low on his hips, with sleep in his eyes, and serious bed head. However, she was in what could only be described as a caffeine and stress induced trance that compelled her to do one thing and one thing only: work.

"Yeah, it was kind of scary, actually. He drank like 8 coffees." She was also significantly less aware in this state, as she had several coffee cups cast aside as well as energy drinks. Dick wondered how she hasn't suffered a heart attack. Still, he snorted at her inability or refusal to see the irony in all of this.

"How many have you had? Just curious."

"I don't know." She said distantly, though her eyes flickered to the table to see if there was any more caffeine available. "I am going to find this creep, Dick, if it's the last thing I do."

"I would really rather it not be."

"He's here somewhere. Or she. Or they?"

"Unless they were lying."

"Based on the patterns they live for cat and mouse games... The clues are all here. I just need to piece them together."

"And you will. You both will."

"Tim needs to rest first."

"When was the last time Tim had slept?"

"2 days!" She exclaimed. "Kid was really burning himself out."

"Damn." He played along. "I see you're standing instead of sitting. How is that comfortable?" 

She did seem rather hunched over her computers. "The last time I sat for too long I fell asleep for 15 minutes against my keyboard. I can't let that happen again. Time is money."

He released a breath through his nose. "And before this cat nap, when did you last sleep?" He knew it had been longer than Tim. She'd been sitting here before Tim. Dick was known for overexerting himself in crisis as well, but he physically couldn't function if he didn't get at least a little sleep every once in a while.

"I don't know." She murmured again. "What are you doing up?"

"Oh you know, the chill of the other side of the bed got quite drafty so I figured I'd check up on you."

"That's sweet." She said and without taking her eyes off the screens, reached out and patted his cheek. He took her hand in response, lacing their fingers.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"You know I love you, right?"

"I am aware of this fact." She pulled up Miss M's feed now. "And I love you."

"Come to bed." He finally got to it.

"I will."

"When?"

"When I solve this."

"Babs, when you sent Timmy to bed, did he make you promise that you would sleep too?"

"Maybe, but he was delirious."

"So are you!"

"I am not."

"You're a high functioning zombie. Just like Tim."

"That's different, Dick." She finally looked at him and behind her thick frames were the exhausted and intense green eyes he yearned to gaze into after being on an underwater excursion for 2 weeks with Kal. He swore it took 3 showers to get rid of these a smell. While he was certainly worried about the impending doom that hung over their heads and feared if they would be ready for it, in the present he was focused on his fear that his girlfriend would drop any moment from her sleep deprivation. Even in her rumpled clothes, unkempt hair, and bags under her eyes, she was still stunning. Part of him was being cheesy about the "cold side of the bed" thing, but he did crave being next to her.

"How? You're both brainy people that have a problem walking away from a puzzle to resume normal life."

"Untrue!"

"So true! You seriously don't see that you're having a breakdown?"

She poked his bare chest. "He can't take it! I can! Do you remember in junior year of high school when we had to take the SATs and I made it that whole week with a total of 4 hours of sleep. I still got a perfect score."

"Remember? You were absolutely terrifying. You barely ate, spoke coherently, or bathed. It was like being best friends with a beast. I was worried sick about you."

She retreated a bit and cursed, because he knew she would feel guilt over making him worry. Still, her resolve wasn't completely melting away. 

"This isn't like that."

"Baby, you've got crazy eyes, your pulse is going like you've been electrocuted, and your breath smells like you brushed your teeth in red bull. Its somehow worse."

"Thanks."

"My point is, you don't have to take all this on right here and right now. You're the smartest person I know and you will figure this out, but you're human. You need to sleep." He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled as she subconsciously melted into his hold. 

"I can't just walk away from this! The answers are there!"

"And you doing this without a break isn't helping the odds of finding the answers. You've got to rest that big beautiful brain. You've more than earned a break and one free cuddle session with a vigilante of your choice." He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Do you think Green Arrow is available?" 

"Hurtful, Babs!"

She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his waist as he stood up. She placed all her weight on him and he gladly accepted the burden, even if it wasn't much. He knew he'd won, because even in her most illogical states, logic eventually won out when it came to Barbara Gordon. It was one of the many things he loved about her. He relished in holding her and ran his hands in circular motions on her back. She yawned and buried her face in his neck. When she got really still, he wondered if she fell asleep right there.

She shot one more wistful glance at the screens and sighed.

"Maybe you're right. The room is spinning a bit."

"Good, because I've booked you 12 hours of sleep, a proper shower with or without a buddy, and a big meal fit for a queen. In that order."

"Sounds like a fair bundle. One more thing?"

"Anything that'll get you in bed... Not like that but--" 

She rolled her eyes at his absurdity. Why he was blushing beat her since they saw each other naked even more times than she could count and more times than how often she checked the footage that night. Either way, it was a pretty big number and a distant part of her tried to string together something witty and flirty to say, but she was giving up her strong front and simply just wanted to be in bed.

"Can you carry me? I literally feel like I'm going to keel over."

She never asked to be held. Maybe it reminded her too much of when she was in a wheelchair and Babs cherished walking. Either way, it was very cute how she had her arms all ready stretched out in expectation, knowing his answer. In a swift series of movements, he scooped her into his arms bridal style and she curled into his neck.

"To bed we go, Batgirl." 

She was silent the entire elevator up and it was then Dick realized she'd already fallen asleep. He placed her on her usual side of his bed and pulled the sheets up before kissing her forehead and climbing over her to lay beside her and pull her close. He strung an arm over her, which she moved into his hold as she always did. The clock read 4:30 and he wasn't letting her up until at least 12:30.


	33. Vampire Bats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every day is kind of like Halloween in Gotham: darkness, bats, terrifying clowns, kids hopping around in bright tights. The only difference is candy is offered, which admittedly makes things a little bit better.

Bruce's mouth was etched in the shape of what Selina assumed was becoming a permanent frown. It took her weeks to persuade him into going in on a couples costume with her let alone an entire group ensemble. Now, he sat almost impossibly still as she scribbled a mustache on his face. He wouldn't complain, because he knew Halloween was fun for her, but that didn't mean he was happy about it either.

_"Halloween barely qualifies as a real holiday." He reasoned. "Do you know how many creeps there are out there who think they get a pass just because they try and dress as the Joker to get the blame on someone else?"_

_"C'mon, Bruce. Alfred told me he'd even be Lurch if I somehow got you to participate in Halloween."_

That seemed tempting, as it was a little too perfect of an opportunity to resist. Alfred explained to Selina that while all of the Batkids always seemed to  _love_ Halloween and the festivities surrounding it, Bruce hated it. He wasn't even a fan when his parents were alive, which made it one of the few chips Bruce had on his shoulder that didn't somehow relate to his parent's unfortunate fates. Alfred said that Bruce was never a fan of being startled and might have been scared when he was very little and since then attributed the holiday to nothing but ridiculousness. 

At the end of the day, all it really took was her showing him how sleek and flattering her Morticia Addams costume was to get him to magically change his mind. She pouted that it wouldn't seem right for there to be a Morticia without a Gomez. It was smooth sailing from there. Then, when she discovered that Cassandra was planning on going as Wednesday anyway (she'd grown out her black hair and owned a lot of black so it was an easy costume), she was determined to find a Pugsley to complete the set. Normally, she was under no false pretense that she had any semblance of a nuclear family model, but Halloween was all about pretending. It was the only time of year that weird seemed to be the genuine normal and fear was laughed at.

Initially, she sought out Damian to fulfill the role, but was disappointed to discover that Dick had already enlisted him for another costume. Knowing the original Boy Wonder, he had this idea for a long time and managed to trick the youngest Robin into it, especially since he never celebrated Halloween before. Dick could get Damian to do almost anything.

Before the week before Halloween, she was unsure she'd get her wish until she bumped into Tim moping around about how he was excluded from a group costume that Jason, Duke and Steph were all doing. 

_"They said I could be Toad! Can you believe that? Nobody wants to be freaking Toad. Besides, Steph is my girlfriend so I should be Mario, right?"_

Instead of agreeing or disagreeing with this notion (unfortunately, Tim was much more of a Toad than a Mario, but Selina didn't want to get on his bad side since she wanted a favor), she subtly mentioned her own Halloween plans and everyone involved in the group costume. The trick with getting what you wanted from men (the _non-sexual_ trick, anyway) was to make it seem like their brilliant idea. Tim, albeit an incredibly bright kid, was no different to this simple rule. His eyes brightened as if the stars had aligned and he eagerly offered to be their Pugsley. At first, she feigned apprehension and let him convince her more why it was a perfect idea. 

Thus, their perfect Addams Family costume was complete. Bruce, despite his reservations, was quite a dashing and eloquent-looking Gomez with slicked back hair, a nice three piece suit, and the dark stache she filled in beneath his nose. She knew she looked the part of Morticia with her never ending long sleeve black gown that clung to her body perfectly. She was sure to apply smoky looking makeup and dark lipstick to make her eyes pop. Cassandra was a perfectly gloomy Wednesday Addams with her black hair evenly braided in two sleek braids, a black long sleeve dress with a white collar popping out, and her skin colored with a grayish hue to add a dreary effect. Tim actually made an excellent Pugsley for being last minute. He wasn't chunky like the kid in the movie, but he wore the high shorts, striped shirt, and spiked his hair exactly like he had it in the movies. Alfred must have wanted to be Lurch more than he let on, because he had a full prosthetic on and was surely going to win costume of the evening at the costume party that the GCPD was putting on as a benefit to a foundation for the hungry children of Gotham. All of Gotham's elites, politicians, policemen, and their families would be present. 

"Alfred, we're leaving soon." Bruce called from their master bedroom. He straightened his tie in the mirror and she could see him staring at the mustache rather calculatedly as if he was wondering just how long it would take to wash off.

The butler in question appeared in the doorway, fully donned in his costume. It was hard to resist laughter.

Maintaining an admirable amount of composure, the old man sighed wistfully and in a spot on impression, said, "You rang?"

Selina laughed out loud and looked over at her Gomez, who was even trying to repress his own chuckles. 

"I think you're more into this than you let on." He quipped.

"Nonsense, sir. Your wish is my command." Sarcasm oozed from his voice. "I'll get the children in order."

"The others are just going to meet us there. I think they're taking Damian trick or treating for a bit before showing up. Just make sure Tim and Cassandra are ready."

He nodded and proceeded to dramatically turn and take large steps in the direction of Tim's room. If anything, Selina admired his commitment to the role. She always liked it when people played out the parts they were dressed as.

"I'll admit, that was pretty good." Bruce smiled, breaking through the frown she was sure would remain forever after this evening. You would think a fake mustache was the end of the world for Bruce Wayne.

"Why do you hate Halloween so much? It can't be the fear of looking ridiculous seeing as you dress as a bat every single night."

He shrugged. "There's no scarring story or reason if that's what you're wondering."

"With you it's always wise to ask."

"And that's fair, but no." He shook his head. "I've never really taken a liking to it. It was never for me. I like the horror movies enough, but more as an analytical tool on what not to do in those given circumstances."

"You really are a fun-sucker you know that, Gomez?" She teased.

He raised his left hand and his ring caught the light. "You're stuck with me, Tish."

* * *

 

"This is stupid." Damian grumbled as he walked between Dick and Barbara down the street, dragging a pillowcase behind him. "You're telling me that in order to get candy, I have to dress up as this big, stupid, yellow bunny?"

Barbara gave Dick a curious look, who in turn smiled sheepishly. "It's not a yellow bunny, Dami, it's a super high-powered creature that carries thousands of volts of electricity in its cheeks. That doesn't sound so stupid, does it?"

His little brother rolled his eyes. "Do you even know what "stupid" means?"

"Just go up to that house and collect your candy, okay?"

"I don't see why we can't just go to the store and get candy. We're not exactly poor."

"That takes the fun out of it."

"It's basically taking candy from poor people's mouths, Grayson."

After an exasperated look from Dick, he relented and dragged his feet up the little path alongside some other kids. Admittedly, he did look incredibly cute in his big pikachu onesie and being all grumpy about it didn't make it any less cute. Dick knew that his only window of opportunity to seize Damian for Pikachu was his first celebrated Halloween before he got wind that people could dress as whatever they wanted and it wasn't actually preassigned by older siblings. Not to mention, it was his year to pick he and Babs' costumes so the stars were aligned. 

"This is definitely some middle school wet dream fantasy for you, isn't it?"

"Is not." He weakly defended.

She crossed her arms over the red suspenders that were clipped to her high-waisted jean shorts. Her hair was off to the side in a high ponytail and she clung to a Togepi stuffed animal as well. Her stare indicated that she was not letting this one pass. 

"Let's see, coupling your affinity for red hair with 11 year old you's love for pokemon... I'd say that is not a huge leap to make."

She did have a point. All of his childhood celebrity crushes had red hair (Gillian Anderson in her X-files days, Kate Winslet during Titanic, Claire Danes when she was on  _My So Called Life_ ). He had a type and that type was strong women who happened to have red hair. 

"I never should have told you I had a crush on the Little Mermaid when I was little."

"And Daphne from Scooby Doo."

"Jesus, I told you about that?"

"And you definitely had a thing for Misty from Pokemon, thus making this a pretty big moment for you on many levels." 

He eyed her up and down before grinning. He had to admit, it was pretty authentic. Babs didn't complain when he told her what he settled on, as she already had a yellow crop-top, jean shorts, red high tops, and red hair. All she had to go out and buy were the red suspenders to tie it all together. She did envy Damian's big and cozy onesie though, because unlike in anime, human girls actually got cold and required seasonal changes of wardrobe. 

"I get to be a pokemon master and a pokemon player." He waggled his eyebrows as he turned the signature baseball cap from the original series around like Ash Ketchum always did in battle or when catching a pokemon and enveloped her in a warm embrace that she gladly accepted due to her cold state. She wrapped her arms around his waist, beneath the blue and white outer shirt Ash wore and over the black t-shirt. He rubbed his hands, which donned green finger-less gloves, up and down her arms to warm her up.

"Okay, was she going through menopause at the ripe age of 10 or were they constantly walking in varying climates from each other, because how do you have several layers on and I look like its 90 degrees out?"

"It's a show where 10 year olds run around and catch monsters with zero parental supervision. I doubt the logistics of what they wear is really the unbelievable factor in the grand scheme of things."

"And the fingerless gloves, what are the point of those?" She asked as he cupped her face with his gloved hands. Despite her skepticism on them, she did seem to appreciate the warmth they temporarily brought her face. October was not a friendly time to dress as an Anime character, apparently.

"They're stylish as hell."

"Oh God, your previous style choices are beginning to make a lot of sense now if you really mean that."

"Me and Ash Ketchum need zero help with style. We've managed to reel in the ladies with our respective looks."

"Gotta catch 'em all, I guess." She shrugged.

"But I choose you." He returned with a big dorky grin across his face that she stood on her toes to kiss off.

"You're such a cheeseball." She laughed against his mouth and he only pulled her closer. The kiss's initial chasteness wore off as subtle tongue was involved along with Babs' hands firmly landing on Dick's ass, effectively blending into less innocuous implications for later plans when the night was all said and done. Before it could get too heated for the general public, the two broke away just in time to see a little vampire running for his life and screaming bloody (no pun intended) murder as he dashed into his mother's arms. Behind him, the little yellow ball of fluff that was Damian raced not far behind.

In a swift movement, Dick clotheslined Damian and quickly caught him before he could hit the pavement or reach the crying boy.

"Dami, what the hell?"

"I should be saying the same to you, Grayson! You prevented me from eliminating a threat."

Barbara glanced at the redfaced boy, whose mother looked less than pleased, but also a bit terrified. Instead of pressing the situation, she hastily gathered her son and hurried him away from the scene. 

"That kid? He was just dressed as a vampire! He wasn't real!"

"And how do you know that? Have you know him from birth? Do you know his exact family history? Do you keep up with his ritualistic habits and frequently take photographs with or of him? If you've answered no to any of these questions, you don't really know."

Barbara made a popping sound with her lips. "Okay, but by that logic, you're dressed as a pikachu so you must be pikachu."

"Gesundheit."

Dick sighed. "Bruce told you his theory about weirdos that use Halloween to hide without really hiding, didn't he?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, as a rule of thumb, anyone under 5 ft tall and/or under the age of 12 is generally safe from all of that."

"Why? Evil children exist and likely haunt people all the time."

"Regardless, you still can't beat anyone senseless. Keep your guard up if you want, but 99.9% of trick or treaters are just that."

"I want to know where you get your statistics."

"Why don't we just go to the party?" Barbara sighed. "You'll see people you recognize there, Damian, and I won't be freezing my pokeballs off."

"Very well. I suppose you should know I've also apprehended a child dressed as a clown, who was certainly working for Joker as well as another child who was clearly trying to enlist in a gang."

"Damian! Where are they?"

He pointed at a tree, where two kids were tied to by the means of a jumprope. Their parents were currently untying them and likely asking what happened.

"Um, yeah, let's go." 

* * *

 

"I am going to kill you! How could you do this?" Steph chucked a shoe at Jason's head, which he expertly dodged if he did say so himself.

"What? I forgot!"

"I texted you last week!" Duke said.

"That's not close enough notice."

"And yesterday."

"Okay... That's on me, but I dropped my phone in the toilet two days ago..."

"We saw you yesterday too. And reminded you then!"

"All you had to do was get a red hat, overalls, and a fake mustache." Steph shook her head. "And this is what you come with."

Jason stood in front of the two of them, anything but respectively, in a white t-shirt that had "zombie" written across it.

He smiled crookedly. "Pretty great, huh? Get it? Because I died."

"A lot of us did, you're not that original." She retorted. 

"You didn't come up with it." He pouted.

"Man, we are gonna look so stupid. I knew we should have let Tim be Mario." Duke groaned.

"But Replacement's extreme reliability makes him such a Toad." Jason shrugged. "Sad but true."

"No, what's sad is I'm going to be at this big ass party as a Luigi without his Mario! I'm gonna look so stupid in this getup."

"What about me? I'm Princess Peach with a Luigi." She wrinkled her nose. "That makes no sense."

"At least you could just say you're being a princess. Hell, just say you're being Sleeping Beauty. She wears a pink dress and has blonde hair."

"Or Hannah Montana at the ball." Jason suggested and Steph shot him a lethal glare.

"I'm just gonna look like I was dumped or something on Halloween night."

"Hey, Luigi's stood alone in games before. It's not that ridiculous."

"It's pretty damn ridiculous, Jay. Nobody  _chooses_ to go as Luigi. They end up as Luigi."

"Black Luigi at that."

"I will hit you."

"Here I bragged we were going to have the most complete ensemble costume. Now we're just a princess, a plumber, and a low-budget zombie."

"Sounds like the ending of the _Breakfast Club_." Jason offered. "That's a silver lining."

"That is not what that is."

"Man, just find a bed-sheet ghost and bam, you're Luigi's Mansion, a sick game for the Gamecube."

"That's... That's not a terrible idea."

"See, I'm putting out fires everywhere."

"After you start them!" They both protested.

* * *

Everyone was fairly excited to get to the party in spite of some initial reservations. Bruce had a surprisingly good time with his family and everyone giggled and awed at Damian's cuddly appearance in his pikachu costume as well as how cute he looked positioned between Dick and Barbara in their accurate costumes. Jason nudged Dick and gave him a thumbs up.

"Nice one. Misty was always the hottest pokechick."

"Duh." He snorted.

Duke and Steph weren't talking to Jason, and Duke seemed particularly interested in hanging around a few people who decided to dress as ghosts at the last minute. Nobody really understood his determination to stand by them or why he was dressed as Luigi alone except Tim, who was very satisfied that the whole situation came to bite his friend and girlfriend in the ass.

"See, I bet you wish you had me instead." He grinned at Steph.

She sighed. "Fine. Do you want to go as Toad and Toadette next year?"

"Seriously? What is it with the Toad stuff?" He protested. "I can be Mario. I always play as Mario."

"No, you always choose Toad in Mariokart."

"His car has incredible speed!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm officially dressed as Sleeping Beauty now so it doesn't matter anyway."

"Nope, I'm telling everyone you're dressed as Peach stood up by Mario." He laughed.

"Cass won't let you!"

"Keep in mind: we were originally supposed to dress as CatDog together." She returned blankly. 

"Cass, what the hell?"

"I may not look like much, but do not tussle with me." She supplied with the same unmoving expression.

"You better come back for a group picture later!" Selina called after them all.

Cassandra maintained the part of a straight faced and monotone teenage girl as she looked to Selina. "Do not expect me to smile."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it."

Bruce frowned at Jason. "I told you all that you were not allowed to go as your dead selves. I shouldn't have to say that! You can't even explain it to other people."

"I'm only here for the candy and then I'm out anyway." Jason smiled and patted him on the shoulder before walking away. "No harm no foul there, pornstache."

"You really wanted to be a pokemon for halloween over the Addams Family?" Selina narrowed her eyes at Damian. "Weird choice for you."

Damian furrowed his brow. "I was promised candy and it isn't up to me. It's the eldest sibling who chooses the costumes."

"No... You get to be whatever you want."

"But..." He trailed off before snapping a menacing glare towards Dick. "GRAYSON!"

Damian chasing Dick through the grand ballroom wasn't any more fear inducing though, as he was still wearing the cozy costume and Dick had already gotten the group pictures he wanted and effectively posted them. He was too busy laughing at his brother's anger over the whole ordeal. He got one shot and he took the biggest one possible and slam dunked. Barbara watched them, unmoving as she met up with her father and explained the situation.

Around the ballroom, dignitaries rolled their eyes at the Wayne family's behavior and Bruce couldn't blame them in the slightest. He wouldn't admit that he was enjoying himself a good bit to Selina. The food was good, the costumes were humorous to look at, and the kids were being ridiculous as per always, but a brand of fairly happy ridiculous (except Damian- who was still trying to catch up to Dick in his slippery footy pajamas) that could roll off his shoulders gleefully. Selina found him speaking to some seedy politicians and thankfully pulled him aside and into her warm embrace.

"I was thinking for next year, we dressed as the Incredibles." 

"Next year, huh? The superhero family?"

"That's what we are, right?" She smiled.

"That's what we are, mon cherie." He confirmed with his best french accent.

"It makes sense anyway. Me as Mrs. Incredible."

"You are quite flexible."

"You as Mr. Incredible."

"I've been known to be strong."

"Cassandra or Stephanie as Violet."

"Powerful teenage girls."

"Damian as Dash."

"He is quite quick." He mused as he looked at Damian pounce on Dick, unable to take him to the floor. Dick was red from laughing and Barbara had joined them again. Damian was hot from anger, but was subdued soon after Barbara handed him the candy he'd earned earlier. Then, he was sitting down politely and sorting through his prizes. If he knew Dick like he did, he'd already inspected the candy to ensure its safety for consumption and if he knew Barbara like he did, she had already checked the houses for criminal records and family histories before they went out. They were all quite quick.

"And the baby as Jack-Jack." She supplied cautiously, an obvious flutter to her tone.

"Yeah... Wait, what?"

It was the best Halloween ever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A comprehensive list of the Batfam's costumes:  
> Bruce- Gomez Addams  
> Selina- Morticia Addams  
> Tim- Pugsley Addams  
> Cassandra- Wednesday Addams  
> Alfred- Lurch  
> Dick- Ash Ketchum  
> Barbara- Misty  
> Damian- Pikachu  
> Stephanie- Princess Peach  
> Jason- Dead person  
> Duke- Luigi


	34. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as they hated to admit it, injuries came with the territory of their jobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do something every day for Dickbabs week, but between "Wedding of the Year", my own original writing projects, and work, I've been pretty busy focusing my attentions elsewhere. Anyway, this goes along with today's theme of "injury".

He'd been carried back fireman style from Jason, who thankfully noticed him bleeding out and unconscious in the streets before it grew too serious. Ironically, he wasn't stabbed as Nightwing, but as Officer Grayson. While everyone else spent their daily hours doing something less dangerous than their nightly activities, Dick decided to match it as he couldn't wear the same protective gear or fight back the same way as a cop. This made him, to the distress of all of his loved ones, twice as prone to be killed in the line of duty. All of them put their lives at risk on a nightly basis, but it often felt like Dick was testing fate 24 hours a day save for the few hours he saved for sleeping, eating and bathing. No one protested his career path, even Bruce, because it made him feel like he was doing twice as much good for the world. Everyone hoped that was enough to bargain with the fates that the world needed him and it would be foolish to snuff out the flame. 

He still wasn't conscious by the time they got back to the cave. Jason wasn't sure why he didn't just take him to the hospital, since he was hurt as himself and not Nightwing. Nobody questioned this though, all relieved to have him close and alive. Bruce had a look on his face like he was ready to debate whether this was the right career path for his oldest in addition to the inability to look at his wounded son, Tim wanted nothing more than to help, Damian demanded who did this to his eldest brother, Stephanie couldn't take her eyes off all the blood, Cass gently placed a hand on Dick's shoulder as a means of comfort, and Jason had to take a seat in the corner.

Alfred and Barbara sprung into action, so to speak. 

"Miss Gordon, you know I do not doubt your skills, but given your emotional attachments to Master Richard, I'm not sure it is wise to allow you to operate."

"My emotional ties, Alfred?" She breathed out, her eyes focused on the rubber gloves she snapped on her hands before adjusting Dick's body. "You read him bedtime stories and brought him warm milk when he couldn't sleep at night as a little kid. I think we're  _both_ pretty attached at this point."

He released a sigh through his nose when he realized there was nothing on heaven or earth that could make her walkaway from this. He applied his own gloves. "Very well."

They stripped him down to his boxers, assessed the true area of damage as well as whether or not he was going to need a blood transfusion, cleaned up the excess leakage, and sewed him up. Most would have crumbled under such duress, but her senses only heightened. The fight was far from over and just because her fiancé was lying carved like a Thanksgiving turkey on their operating table didn't mean she would lose focus. She wasn't a doctor and neither was Alfred, but during her time as Oracle she'd learned quite a bit about sewing up stab wounds and bullet wounds... Really any wound actually. 

The surgery didn't last long. Both were relieved the blade hadn't struck any vital organs and was seemingly a straight knife that didn't go in very far. Stomach injuries tended to bleed a lot more than other regions so it looked more gruesome than it actually was. However, the stitch line made an ugly line along his otherwise smooth abs. He had various other injuries from a multitude of weapons across his body. Barbara briefly recalled a time where his skin was smooth and spotless. 

_They were teenagers in high school. Of course both were in the vigilante game, but neither had realized just how truly serious it was. They'd been scared before and faced death in the face, but neither had brought back any trophy scars with them as Bruce had on numerous different occasions. Dick always wondered if Bruce liked being marked. She never thought he was a total masochist so she denied it._

_They'd gone to the beach during one of their summer days off. They didn't get many, but they definitely had more free time then than they did now. She remembered feeling a moment of self-consciousness as they stripped down into their bathing suits. She wasn't usually insecure, but that was the summer their relationship had an undercurrent of mostly unspoken feelings. It was a healthy combination of constant adrenaline, secret keeping, friendship, harbored crushes, and of course: hormones. He didn't look like a little boy anymore. Albeit, he didn't look like a grown man either, but his eyes were soft and he'd grown into his ears. She remembered embarrassingly sneaking a look at him when he'd been lifting his shirt over his head. He was beginning to look nicely toned and this in addition to his sun-kissed skin, had her heart started clambering in her chest. She remembered resenting that at the time._

_She quickly snapped her head in any other direction once the shirt was discarded and felt her face burning like the sun had already done her dirty even though they hadn't been outside for more than 5 minutes. She could feel his stare on her, which was much less discrete than her own. It was painfully obvious how cliche they were being with the whole "I look at you, you look away, you look at me, I look away" schtick. She couldn't seem to stop though and it bothered her how much she liked that he was staring at her in her bathing suit, as if she'd never caught him staring at her longingly before. Things were different._

_"You don't have any scars either." He remarked to her surprise._

_She looked back at him, thankful for an objective reason to analyze him._

_"I'm guessing scars from having my wisdom teeth removed doesn't count, right?"_

_He beamed at her and the sun seemed to choose to shine its entire focus on his grin. "So badass."_

_"I'm amazed you don't have any considering you jump around on a nightly basis looking like a traffic light."_

_"You should talk yellow go-go boots."_

_"At least the majority of my costume is black."_

_"At least mine's original."_

_"Originality isn't going to keep you from getting shot." She hadn't realized they were inching closer and closer to each other with each turned phrase until she was so close she could count the different speckles of blue in his eyes. His chest was warm and more toned than she could last recall. Then again, before that, how many times did she really feel out his pecs? When did he even get pecs?_

_"I have nothing to worry about with you to protect me." His voice was soft and he took the hand that had previously poked him and slid their fingers together. It was true. She would do everything in her power to keep him safe, to keep him untouched. The way his skin appeared to be a smooth bronze under the bright sunlight, showing zero signs of the horrendous villains they fought at night. She would keep him safe._

_"And what about me?" She half-joked._

_He leaned in, eyes shutting slightly and the rest of the beach seemed far off into the distance. He raised the hand that he held and kissed her knuckles, but it felt like merely a feather landed on them. In spite of this and the 85 degree weather, she shivered._

_"I will always protect you. You know that."_

_And she did. She gently tugged him so that they were learning in for a proper kiss, but a scream for help in the distance dashed that plan immediately. He didn't look pleased by the timing either and carefully released her hand._

_"What do you say we run at it_ _Baywatch style?"_

_She reminded him that if they ran that impossibly slow, they might not get there in time and instead they ran as fast as their legs could take them to save an individual from what they thought was a shark. Instead, it was just an inflatable pool floaty. Ironically though, on their way back to shore, Dick stepped on a fishing hook and they had to rush to the ER to have it removed, thus giving him his first scar. She remembered feeling a pang of guilt that day that she let him down, but he only grinned at her when she walked into his hospital room after hours of waiting._

_"Chicks dig scars, right?"_

_She laughed._

_That was the first day either of them had their blood all over the other. Sadly, it wouldn't be the last._

After they were finished and he was resting up on the spare cot in the cave, Alfred left to go clean himself up. She promised she'd be right behind him, but she stayed. He was stable and would wake soon, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. She walked over to the other side of his body, taking a glance at the toe where the hook got stuck all those years ago. Back then, that seemed as bad as it could get, but now all that remained from that wound was a tiny white line. She had so much of his blood on her, even though she wore gloves. She gagged a bit and not because it was blood, but because it was his. This could have been so much worse had the cards not been ever so slightly in their favor. She wasn't the most religious person, but she silently thanked whatever higher beings for bringing him back alive.

He certainly patched up her fair share of injuries over the years, especially since she was out doing fieldwork again. The horror in his eyes every time she got so much as a cut was heartbreaking. She knew he was fearing that what Joker did to her, or worse, would happen all over again. He'd never say it, because he'd never want to hold her back and he'd never doubt her capabilities of taking care of herself, but it was always there. If it had happened to him, she would likely be the same way.

She ran her gloved hand up his leg to a scar along his calf. Bullet wound courtesy of Jason. It was right after he'd come back from the dead and was still brainwashed and incredibly upset with all of them. He was aiming for Bruce, but the win was terrible that day and it hit Dick instead. It was a flesh wound, which made the incident more forgivable down the line especially given the circumstances, but she noticed the grim look on Jason's face if Dick ever wore shorts and he caught sight of the mark he gave him. 

She leaned forward and kissed it. For some reason, the act made her feel better, no matter how rudimentary and perhaps childish. It made her feel like she was making each mark better or finding new beauty in them. Not romanticizing, because she never wanted to see him hurt, but treating each as another hurdle he'd overcome to be who he was now. They weren't trophies as they once thought as children, but reminders. She wanted to remind him that where he was now was good.

Maybe she wanted to remind herself that too.

The next scar she recognized was from Harley Quinn. She remembered it so clearly, because she'd been there when it happened. The Suicide Squad was rebelling and they were ordered to assist ARGUS in trying to reel them back in with minimal violence. Unfortunately, Harley did not mix well with a katana sword and swiped it straight across Nightwing's kneecap. She'd walked away with a pretty scar on her shoulder blade too from Harley and the damn thing, but Dick couldn't walk right for weeks because of the placement of injury. Now, it was a single sliver against his knee that was slightly reflecting under the overhead light.

She kissed it.

She stopped again at an old burn scar from a fist fight with Firefly that was located on his lower abdomen opposite the brand new scar from tonight. This was during Dick's time as Batman and was a particularly painful one from her memory. Mind you, her memory was perfect. It was one of the few she ever remembered seeing him cry from pain during treatment. They had to have the dead skin removed from Dr. Thompkins and they couldn't put him out for it. It used to look like an inflamed explosion the side of a man's fist, but now was a small quarantined area of slightly rough and pinked skin. It was easier to feel than see.

She pecked that one and bounced over to the other side to kiss just outside of his new wound, as she didn't want to disturb the stitches. 

On his right pec, a scar from an arrow courtesy of Roy Harper's evil clone was the most notable outside of the new stab wound. She tried to remember if he was stabbed with the arrow or if it had been shot. She wasn't there for it and wasn't sure if anyone ever asked. Judging by the passion of the attack, she guessed it was a stabbing. She remembered how horrified she was being called down that night. They'd still been a part of Young Justice and the two of them had just started officially going out. There were few others times she wanted to kill someone as bad as she wanted to kill Roy's clone for the way he hurt Dick. 

As her lips brushed against the surface of his chest, she could both hear and feel a soft rumbling from him. She perked up immediately and looked to his face. A soft smile danced on his lips and she wondered if he'd been dreaming.

"You know..." His voice croaked, but his eyes were still closed. "I think I might have a scar on my mouth too."

"You don't say." She can hear her voice crack a little, but he doesn't comment on it. She's just relieved he's talking again.

He was wrong, of course. She'd memorized every detail of his entire body due to having seen it a million times as well as a photographic memory. Every time something changes, she's the first to notice. Literally. She usually notices before he does. His face, as opposed to everywhere else (well not  _everywhere)_ , is pristine and free of marks. His eyes are the same soft and beautiful blue eyes that stared at her dreamily since they were kids. His hair falls soft in every which way possible and even looked good like that now. She studies him even though she has him memorized, as if she'll discover something new, and marvels at how he could look so young and mature at the same time. He had a sharp and defined jawline that looked like it could have been sculpted by an artist. His cheekbones were high in a way that would give most contouring young women major jealousy. His long and dark eyelashes would have the same effect, she figures. There's a thin dusting of perfectly distributed stubble across his face. Sometimes, he lets it grow. She doesn't have a preference so long as he doesn't go full-grizzly beard, as that becomes less convenient when they're doing... ah...  _other_ things. 

His face hadn't so much as ever seen a zit let alone any battle wounds. She gently stroked his cheek with the back of her hand and melted a bit when he turned into her touch. 

"I'm just trying to keep you consistent, Babs."

"I appreciate it." She leaned in and captured his perfect lips in hers for a slightly gratuitous kiss, for which she excused herself on the basis that near-death experiences practically demanded for them. 

When she gently pulled away, his eyes fluttered open and while it was visible he was in physical pain, there was that warm mirth in his stare that still drove her crazy after all of these years.

"Do you need anything? A drink? Something to eat? Meds? I'm guessing definitely meds." She winced as she looked down at his lower abdomen.

"Please tell me that gaze of disgust is at the stab wound and not anything else."

She chuckled. "Fear not, Hunk Wonder, your namesake is still in mint condition."

He feigned a sigh of relief. "Thank God. Ugh, does that mean Alfred saw me in my underwear?"

"You were bleeding out. I don't think anyone was paying attention to your Star Wars boxers."

"Shit, did I bleed on them?"

"Unfortunately."

"Dammit."

"This is what women go through all the time."

"You have my sympathies for all of it. Periods, childbirth, sexism. All of it."

She slipped away from him, still chuckling, as she grabbed him painkillers and water. "Here."

"Thank you. I do have a bit of a headache."

She rolled her eyes.

"Ah, I must have not come that close to dying since I can still get that reaction from you."

"You'll never not get this reaction from me, Grayson. Even in death."

"At least you're genuine."

"Dick?"

"Hm?"

"Who did this to you?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't see them. I didn't even see the knife go in until it was sticking out of my stomach. When I said I wanted to be really cut one day, this is not what I met."

"I know." Her index finger traveled in calming swoops against the warm surface of his defined chest. "What were you investigating?"

"Drug bust." He sighed. "I had a feeling we had the wrong building so I went around back and there were two guys. Both were total stereotypes with their stupid all black outfits."

"Hey."

"I was going to say if they were all black with splotches of yellow tossed in their for some tastefulness, I would say its sexy."

"That would be weird of you to say about your stabber."

"Not if you were my stabber."

This conversation wasn't going anywhere. "Continue."

"They saw me in my bright white shirt and the red stripe down my pants. I didn't even get the chance to dispatch the information back to my team, because there was this third guy that came up behind me, reached around, and stabbed me in the abs."

"That's a curious means of attack." She squinted at the wound to further examine it. "Why not just stab you in the back if he was already behind you?"

"I'm kind of relieved, given that would have killed me."

"No, me too, of course, but it is weird, right? It's almost like he stabbed you in a perfect positioning so you wouldn't die."

"Just hurts like a bitch." He grumbled, pride clearly hurting too from not noticing the guy.

"I'm sorry." She conceded. 

"Why? Did you stab me? Because you have given me scars before."

"That is not true!"

"On my back." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Those were not scars they didn't even-" She cut herself off. "Nevermind. What can I get you?"

"Sex and a hot meal."

"I can do the meal, but I'm not touching you until that heals up."

He muttered something under his breath out of faux protest, but truthfully, he was so tired and winded that he wouldn't be able to stand up straight for a little while let alone do anything physically strenuous. He looked over at her and noticed she was checking his stitches for what was probably the billionth time, that familiar look of determination mixed with her own display of fear. The wrinkle between her eyebrows was evident in thought, her sharp green eyes analyzed every speck of his wound and maybe his leg, but her hands were soft and gently despite their callouses from various training and crime fighting sessions. There were scars from broken glass on the knuckles of her right hand and even though that probably hadn't hurt for several years, it still ached his heart to see any remnant of pain that she endured, even if long ago.

"As much as I love the idea of Nurse Babs..." He started and took her hand in his. "I hate seeing you so worried."

She was obviously very transparent, especially to him. He'd be fussing and doting over her even more if the roles were reversed. He had to know that.

Barbara used her free hand to push stray hair out of his face and then kissed his forehead once clear of his dark mane. "Then stop making me worry."

He snorted. "But I thought chicks dug scars."

"I dig  _you_ more."

He gazed at her in that way that made her feel like he was staring through her soul. He raised her hand to his mouth. "Fair enough. So, how about that sponge bath?"

 


	35. One With the Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian wakes Dick up with what he qualifies as an emergency. Dick is just glad he is acting his age for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for all Star Wars movies... You've been warned. Also, the opinions expressed in this fic don't necessarily reflect my own. I wrote it to each character's personality. 
> 
> Such a drawn out way of saying don't hate me.

Dick felt a firm hand on his chest, purposely shaking him from sleep. He hadn't gotten much that week thanks to a serial killer running loose through Bludhaven, unfortunately, so his body was doing everything in its power to let him finally have his moment. When the shaking persisted, he let out an audible groan and then patted the hand. Honestly, the world could have been ending and he still would have tried to bargain for more rest. He felt like he was dehydrated for the elixir of a good night's sleep. He knew everyone in their family was guilty of that on the regular, but his head was especially foggy.

"5 more minutes, Babs."

"Grayson. It's me." A stern yet childlike voice answered.

His eyes flew open and sure enough, it was Damian. Babs on the other hand, was on her side curled up, still deep in slumber.

He envied her.

Dick rubbed his eyes in an effort to adjust his eyes in the dark space of his room.

"Damian?" His voice was hushed, not wanting to wake the sleeping figure next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Something horrible has happened." He said stiffly.

***

Damian sat alone in his dark room, jaw dropped and anger pooling to his core as the final credits rolled. He'd finally gotten along to watching the newest  _Star Wars_ movie, completing his "Movie To Do List" that Drake had challenged him to just weeks before. It hadn't been easy to complete, being that some were so boring he deemed he would rather pull teeth than continue watching. Others were so monumentally predictable and cheesy that he wanted to gag. The collective few that he enjoyed, he intended to keep. None, however, had made him experience unsolicited rage.

Until now.

Damian liked  _Star Wars_ for the most part. He immediately identified with the character of Luke Skywalker as well as Princess Leia, to their determination to defend what they believed in, right from the beginning. The little green monster, Yoda, was charming and intrigued him to the idea of how vast this galaxy truly was. The banter amongst the main three was palpable and he found his lips twitching every so often, even when a romantic subplot was unfolding. Because he hadn't taken to social media nor did he watch too much TV, he hadn't known any of the big secrets in _Star Wars_ , and leaped out of his seat when Vader proclaimed he was Luke's father and Obiwan discussed how Luke and Leia are twins. The entire family laughed at him, which he would normally be embarrassed about, but was too pleased to be tricked by the movie to care much. The ewoks, aka the teddybears in  _Return of the Jedi_ were dumb and impractical though. Brown cooed about how cute they were the entire time, which didn't help.

He agreed that that prequel trilogy was God awful and an abomination especially after the original trilogy. Drake seemed to feel the level of hatred he was experiencing right now in relation to them. Damian thought they were too poorly written to get upset over. After all, they were practically parodies of themselves with that ridiculous over-grown pink frog running around with his tongue sticking out. Thankfully, they limited his role significantly. The actor that was supposed to become Darth Vader was a whiny mess, which he found rather insulting, as Vader was an impressive case study. It did amuse him to think that the likes of Bane or Grundy starting out as spoiled brats.

He was relieved to see the sequel trilogy getting back to the basics with  _The Force Awakens_ , which everyone in their household overall gave positive reviews towards. Todd, ever the literary critic, was trying to propose the idea that it was a knockoff of the original, but Gordon eloquently shut that down with the fact that  _Star Wars_ was never truly meant to be overly sophisticated, considering the original trilogy copied itself with having a second Death Star later on. Damian gasped when Han Solo died, but it didn't resonate with him like it did Todd, because he wasn't a Han Solo kind of person. He appreciated the strict teachings and discipline of the Jedi code, not frivolously meandering in and out of the war whenever it best suited him. Brown cried at that, because she'd been "crushing" on Harrison Ford "forever", even though she was only 17 and Damian knew the man had to be in his seventies.

 _Rogue One_ was another success by their family's standards, one of which he was actually able to see in theaters since he'd seen the entire original trilogy by that point. Drake was affronted by the idea that he hadn't seen all of the movies yet, but Grayson wanted someone to see it with and felt Damian was worthy of the trip. He put it in a lot kinder terms, but Damian accepted the approval and took it as a sign that he should continue the series. They all liked how war was actually portrayed in the series, particularly in the standalone movie. He scoffed at the imbeciles in the theater who couldn't understand when this was supposed to be happening. He knew he was a detective and the sidekick to the world's greatest at that, but it was not that hard to place. Gordon especially loved  _Rogue One_ , because she was the type of person to love puzzles and how very nicely the movie fit into all of the "lore", as she put it. Grayson and Todd couldn't stop talking about the final scene with Vader and frankly, Damian couldn't blame them.

 _The Last Jedi_ was the only one he decided to see on his own in the confines of his own room. It premiered at a time that was too busy for him, being that he was off-world with father shortly after the release. They didn't stream movies on the moon, even though he was sure if he asked Gordon, she would have found a way for him to watch it in space. He figured she had more pertinent projects to work on around the holidays, so didn't ask. So, after months of clambering with various bad guys and running on little sleep aside from what he managed to squeeze on school nights, he finally found it in him to watch.

And now it felt like the world was ending.

***

"We cannot simply allow this to happen." He straightened his shoulders.

Grayson let his sag forward and ran a hand through his hair. If he was trying to tame the ends that stuck up in all directions, he was not doing a good job at that. Then again, part of Grayson's charm was his boyishness. Though admittedly with bags under his eyes and the slouch in his position, he looked much older than his age, even in the dark. Damian was reconsidering his tactic of barging into his room at 3 in the morning, but it was too late now.

"Wait..." He was still trying to get a grasp on the waking and living world. "This is about  _Star Wars_?"

"It is about a crime to cinema! Do not speak as though I am being irrational, because I am not. I am merely standing up for an unforgivable sin."

Grayson raised a finger to his lips and glanced over at Gordon again. Damian took a moment to notice she was actually there, unmoving for the most part outside of some quiet breathing. He knew she had a long week with her Birds of Prey, but still wondered how she was able to sleep through their current conversation. He almost wanted her to be awake for this as well, desperately needing her opinion on the matter since she always seemed reasonable in her criticisms of movies, even the ones she liked. As much as he usually went to Grayson, he questioned his tactic in coming to him this time. Perhaps he woke the wrong half of the couple. Then again, picturing Gordon being awoken without her consent did not sound like as easy of a conversation as this one.

"They cannot kill Luke Skywalker." Damian softened his voice this time, but his stare was as piercing as ever. "He cannot be gone. The entire saga is about him!" 

He yawned. "How do you explain the prequels and  _Rogue One_?"

"Leading up to him!"

"I don't think you should be allowed to watch TV this late." He smiled kindly though, which boded well for Damian. Grayson didn't have a mean bone in his body when it came to family. He was overly accepting and forgiving, causing Gordon to be the more pragmatic and logical one of their relationship. He was certainly the easiest to talk to since he shared his feelings all of the time. Damian might have considered this a weakness years before, but now he knew differently... But only when it applied to Grayson. He would not be engaging in such emotional conversations no matter how much he wanted him to.

"That is hardly the point." He placed his hands on his hips.

"You sure about that?"

"Grayson, are you hearing me? Luke is dead!"

Just at that golden moment, Gordon finally joined the conscious world by shooting up in bed. Her eyes were blown wide, despite being bloodshot from lack of rest, and her breathing was heavy. Red hair tumbled out of a long messy ponytail and the large thermal shirt (that likely didn't belong to her) slumped over one of her shoulders. She was the embodiment of dishevelment, but she still looked more put together than most of their family members. Her chest rose dramatically, a stark contrast of the breathing she'd been doing in sleep. Grayson automatically placed a firm hand on her back, indicating to Damian that he'd done this before if she was woken with a start.

"Did I just hear that Luke is dead? Luke Fox?" She asked in a panic. "Oh God, how are we going to tell Lucius? Does Bruce know--"

"Babs." Grayson's hand slid to her shoulder and she locked eyes with him. He didn't say anything, but somehow expressed the idea that everything was okay... Well, in their family, anyway. Damian was still very distraught over an abomination in modern cinema that he truly felt would ruin the franchise forever.

Her eyes finally fell on Damian, noticing he was there and another flash of panic overtook her, this time brief. When her hand met her chest and she came in contact with clothes, her body visibly relaxed for a reason Damian refused to put too much thought into for his own sanity. He was already on edge as was.

"What's up, baby bird?" She yawned.

He was too upset to even correct her. "Gordon, this involves you too."

"It really doesn't." Grayson said tiredly and leaned back against his pillows.

She furrowed her brow. "What is it?"

"I watched the recent  _Star Wars_ movie and I do not appreciate being blindsided like that."

She looked at Grayson again, who was now scrubbing a hand over his face to try and wipe away exhaustion, and then back at Damian.

"Seriously?"

"Do I seem like someone who jokes?"

"I wish." She huffed. "What time is it?"

"Time to storm the doors of Lucasfilm and force them to course correct."

"No pun intended?" Grayson offered.

"This is not the time for jokes! Luke is dead!"

"And now I'm up to speed." Gordon sighed as she seemed to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't sleeping until this matter was solved. "Look, Tim was pissed about it too. While it was a little confusing, I wouldn't be surprised if we see him in the next movie."

Grayson brightened up and leaned forward. "Exactly! He's even more powerful now as a force ghost."

Damian's ears perked up. "You don't say."

"I want to see him, Anakin, and Obi-wan tag team that bitch, Kylo." Damian liked how uncensored Gordon was when she first woke up. 

Damian would not mind that either.

"You know how death doesn't really mean death in our world? At least not always?" Grayson asked.

"Yes. That idiot Todd is still very much around."

"As well as some of our most formidable foes."

"That too." Damian conceded. 

"Well, the same goes for  _Star Wars_." Gordon nodded. "Nothing to worry about."

"So you think he will be back."

"He should, or else all of that was pointless."

Admittedly, he felt better and it obviously showed based on the stupid grin Grayson was giving him.

"Better?" His voice was soft.

"Tt... It will do." He made the move to turn around and march out the door, but stopped. "And the First Order will perish?"

"Indubitably." She was already scurrying back down into her blankets. "It will happen quicker if we sleep though."

"Hey? Are you okay?"

Damian stiffened. "I just... I do not like seeing heroes die."

Both seemed to understand the possibility that perhaps his feelings on witnessing many deaths, including his own father's (despite his being back), was not easy for a young boy.

Gordon and Grayson exchanged a look before he patted on the space between the two of them while she pulled back the blankets. "Come on in. No heroes are dying on our watch. Not tonight."

He felt the offer was extremely juvenile, but given the circumstances along with how exhausted he was beginning to feel, he accepted. After a moment's pause, he climbed onto the king sized bed and crawled in between the two. Gordon flipped the blanket over so it covered all of them.

"If either of you mention this to anyone, I will make you wish you were never born."

"Goodnight to you too?" Gordon said.

Grayson pulled him so he was snuggled up into his side.

"Grayson, this is a king. We do not need to be this close."

"Don't worry, the good guys always come out on top. There will be a lot more _Star Wars_ to love in the future."

"You love everything." Grayson was not the pickiest movie fan and it drove most of them absolutely mad.

"Not everything, but I do love you." He smiled tiredly before leaning up and over Damian to plant a kiss on the tip of Gordon's nose. "And I love you, Babs."

He cringed at being the "baby in the middle" of that exchange, but snorted as Gordon merely grunted in response and unconsciously reached over to pat Grayson on the cheek. She was as good as asleep again, just barely lingering in the in-between state. She looked so relaxed and vulnerable in that moment. He figured she would always look like she had her guard up, but even he was wrong at times. He didn't mind it.

"Thank you." He responded curtly, but warmth spread across his chest as Grayson's eyes fluttered closed too. 

"May the force be with you, Damian Skywalker."

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	36. Disney World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group makes a surprise visit to the most magical place on earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure fluff.

Barbara knew it was going to be a long day, because it had already been a long week. They were in Orlando for a case that involved chasing Penguin and some of his associates to the edge of the state so he didn't escape into the gulf of Mexico. While Bruce and Alfred decidedly flew back to Gotham almost immediately after apprehending him, the kids decided to take the long way back and experience their first real (and well-deserved) vacation as a group, even if unexpected. Ultimately, it didn't take much debate at where they should spend the week, because Dick and Stephanie had been animated enough for everyone to sell the prospect of Disney World. Everyone was secretly hoping this was where they would head anyway, even Jason. 

"Dude, you didn't even know for sure you were coming here. Why did you have that shirt ready?" Jason asked Dick, who was presently dressed in a short sleeve button-up shirt that was splattered in little mickey heads.

He pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "You have to expect the unexpected, Little Wing."

"That, and he wears that shirt all the time." She rolled her eyes.

"That sounds more like it."

"At least he's not like Damian." Tim began and they all turned their attention to the youngest boy. "He looks like he's getting ready for a PTA meeting."

Barbara knew in her soul that while she loved Disney, everyone seemed to always forget that 50% of the kids were laughing while the other half were in the throws of a furious tantrum. Unlike most kids, Damian was a trained assassin. Still, this meant a lot to everyone, especially Dick, so she went along with the idea and was even excited about revisiting her own nostalgia. 

How could you not love Disney?

"Does he even own shorts?" Steph linked her hand with Tim's. The two had recently reunited and were in a renewed honeymoon phase that everyone was trying not to find insufferable since everyone in their group had a tendency to get absorbed into their own relationships. Still, it was hard. Babs put Damian between the two of them on the car ride over to keep them from making out. She knew better than to assume it was Tim who was instigating it either. Steph was the exhibitionist between the two of them and everyone knew it. She was dressed in a crop top and high-waisted shorts, but the ribbon she tied in her hair was the red and white polka dot combination that matched Minnie Mouse's.

"I've never seen his legs." Cass mused.

"You think they're scaly or something?"

"In all fairness, we all cover up 99% of the time." Dick said.

"I can  _hear_  you imbeciles." Damian snapped. "There are walking mice and ducks at this place and yet I am the strangely dressed one?"

"Yup, pretty much." Jason nodded.

"No fighting! We're going to Disney!" Steph cheered. 

"Okay, I've got the map of the park memorized, but I still grabbed one." Barbara said.

"Thanks,  _mom_." Jason teased.

"Don't make me pick up one of those child leashes." Though she thought they were distasteful.

"Kinky." He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"I brought sunscreen too."

"I don't burn." Damian snapped quickly.

"Yeah, okay, you're already getting red."

"Babs, you're about one step away from wearing a fanny pack." Tim said.

"I own a few." Dick said.

"Of course you do."

"I see the castle!" Steph announced triumphantly as if it wasn't the most dominant feature of the park.

"And I spy Minnie Mouse." Cass smiled as the character walked by to greet some smaller children.

"I can't wait to ride some rides." Jason said. "None of this character bullshit. We gotta get to the real business."

"We're doing a combination of things so everyone is happy." Barbara said firmly. 

"This is just like I remember it." Dick said quietly, perhaps thinking no one else could hear, but her heart simultaneously broke and melted at his inflection. 

* * *

Damian, while initially skeptical, had to admit that the sight of the Magic Kingdom was certainly awe-inducing. It was a lot to take in with the cheerful music on constant loop, bright colors and costumed people every which way, and of course the bright blue castle inspiring hope in the distance. He enjoyed the idea that it really felt like a kingdom with several sectors split up to create such a singular entity. It also helped that he could practically feel the excitement radiating off of his family, particularly Grayson, who hadn't been to Disney since his parents death. For most of them, that would mean this was a scarring trip down memory lane, but Grayson seemed as jovial as ever to be experiencing this with them. 

From what he understood, Gordon and Drake had both been before too when they were younger, but the others never made it just like him. Brown had never been before, but she was spouting out facts about the production history of various movies and the structure of the theme park that one would think she lived and breathed it. He didn't voice it, but he was glad she could come and see it for herself.

Todd, though usually the resident cynic, was enamored with all the various mouse-shaped snacks he could get his hands on as well as the beautiful princesses that walked by. 

He nudged Gordon. "Look out, there's the Little Mermaid. You know that's the spark of Dick's redhead fetish."

"Should I ask  _Roy_  what he thinks about that?" She returned without missing a beat.

Damian and Cain chuckled at Todd's flushed face. 

Brown deemed she had to be "basic" and buy Minnie ears. She also reasoned that as her boyfriend, Drake had to get Mickey ears. Everyone gagged when they kissed with their corresponding ears on.

"I have to find one of those Goofy hats." Grayson thought aloud.

"Oh, God." Gordon facepalmed. 

Their first stop was, at Drake's insistence, Tomorrowland. For the most part, the technology was pretty underwhelming despite it claiming to be the forefront of the future, particularly in a show called "The Carousel of Progress" in which the entire point of the revolving show was to be on the cusp of tomorrow's technology.

"Is Disney broke?" He whispered to Grayson during the end of the show, who tilted his head back and laughed heartily and he was confused what he said that was supposed to be funny. 

The Buzz Lightyear ride involved aim and shooting, which started an all-out brawl amongst themselves.

"The duo with the best combined score gets ice cream bought by the duo with the lowest combined score." Grayson announced as they all strategically tried to pick the best partners. Damian instinctually paired himself with Grayson, for he was the best all around fighter aside from himself and Batman. He did think that the team-up of Gordon and Cain would be formidable, but was confident in his and Grayson's combined abilities. 

"Hey, wait a second!" Brown whined. "There are 7 of us!"

"Relax, Blondie, Replacement will always be there at your beck and call." Todd rolled his eyes. 

"But that's not fair for them, because they won't have another person to shoot with."

Todd insisted on being the person to ride alone and at first everyone thought he was being gallant for a change. However, it turns out he was just simply using both laser guns himself. Evidently, he had been banking on real-time experience with actual guns to be enough. It turns out, it was and while he was disappointed that he and Grayson didn't win, he was satisfied when Drake and Brown had to buy Todd two mickey-shaped ice creams. How he convinced them to buy him two was a mystery, but a welcome surprise since he ended up giving Damian the second one.

"It'll go to my hips." He brushed off.

Grayson had a field day at the "Laugh Floor", which was full of 3-D monsters from a Pixar movie telling jokes that were on the same level of bad as his. He sent in several via text under different pseudonyms and almost all of them made it to the show. He figured the rest of the audience would groan and roll their eyes like everyone else in his group did, but it was like they were all cut from the same corny cloth that Grayson was, who was laughing hysterically at his own jokes.

_"Why was the little strawberry crying? His mom was in a jam!"_

_"What do you call a pony with a slight cough? A little hoarse."_

_"What plant rules the garden? A dande-lion."_

_"Why did the skeleton go to the party solo? He had no **body**  to go with him."_

_"Why was the sand wet? Because the sea weed."_

"I told you guys I'm funny." Grayson wiped a tear from his cheek.

"This place is crazy." Drake muttered, though it was possible he was grumpy for being picked on as  _that guy_ , who was singled out and the butt of every joke. Damian, on the other hand, positively adored every second of it.

By far, the best part of Tomorrowland was without a doubt, Space Mountain. It was all Drake and Gordon spoke about on their way to the park. According to them, the architects of the ride modeled the craters after chocolate chip cookies and that the ride felt a lot faster than it actually was. Both spoke highly about the effects and how they still held up today, unlike what Damian had said earlier about "The Carousel of Progress".

"You're gonna love this one." Grayson beamed as they waited in line. "Do you wanna be in the back, middle or front?"

"Front, of course." He scoffed. "I want a clear view of these visuals that Gordon and Drake have been relentlessly boasting about."

"It's like living in Star Wars!" Drake gushed.

While he rarely liked to admit when Drake was right, he had to give him this one, because Space Mountain wasn't anything short of spectacular. When Brown had mentioned that its been around since 1975, his jaw almost hit the floor. Sure, he logically knew that he wasn't actually transported to space. He'd been to space before and there were some cosmetic differences, but very few that anyone who hadn't physically been there would notice. The ride whipped them around in all directions and sent them through wormholes that were likely astrologically misplaced, but fun to explore. He didn't have any time to analyze anything, because it was too fun to focus on anything else outside of how much fun he was having.

Grayson obnoxiously screamed through out the entire thing, making him and the others in their respective train bust out laughing. He struggled to think of a moment where he felt more joy rush to his lungs. 

* * *

Steph was relieved they'd managed to snag fast passes for the Seven Dwarf's Mine Train, which would have otherwise been a 2 hour wait. Of course, this sent Jason into a rant about how  _nothing_ was worth waiting 2 hours. Tim just  _had_ to wholeheartedly disagree, naming several movie tickets he waited lengthy periods of times to snag for the first showing. This ignited a pretty heated back and forth that made everyone want to bash their heads against the sculpted mine. So, the 30 minutes they spent in line actually felt like a hearty 2 hours. 

"If you two don't shut the hell up, I'm going to use one of those pickaxes to give you both a lobotomy." Barbara snapped and both of them knew better than to poke  _that_  beast and their jaws snapped shut. No one even thought to bring up the fact that the pickaxes they saw were all plastic. It was not worth the headache, because Babs would probably make it work if she had to.

"It isn't Disney if there isn't arguing children." Dick joked to try and ease the tension.

"Thank God." Damian mumbled as he massaged his temples. "I wouldn't have warned them, though."

"Sure." 

Once they experienced the ride, their moods all turned around and all seemed well again. It really was, in Steph's humble opinion, worth the wait and the struggle to get to that point. She'd ridden with Tim, of course, and unlike Space Mountain, this ride was primarily in daylight and gave her the opportunity of getting to see his laughing face firsthand, carefree, relaxed, unadulterated. Her heart fluttered at the sight and it only fueled her own joy. Snow White had always been her favorite princess, perhaps because it was the first, but she felt like she was experiencing her childhood all over again. Ahead of them, she could see everyone challenging each other to who could keep their hands in the air the longest. 

They ate in Belle's castle and everyone was pretty much captivated in awe at how similar it was to the movie. Each dining area was like a room that was replicated from the castle in  _Beauty and the Beast_ , which was Babs' favorite princess movie and she'd never seen her mentor with such youthful wistfulness in her eyes before. That was the best part of this trip to Steph. Yes, it was great seeing Disney World for the first time, but being here with people that were always on the brink of destruction and exhaustion was rewarding in its own sense. No one was an exception of getting wrapped up in Disney's magic and she loved seeing that in them.

"I used to make my dad play this movie on repeat." Babs chuckled. "Poor guy."

"It's my favorite princess movie too, if I had to pick." Jason agreed. 

"It really looks like its snowing outside." Cass smiled brightly.

"This ballroom makes me want to dance gloriously. Babs, you wouldn't happen to have a large yellow ballgown, would you?" Dick asked.

"Hm, I think I left it in my carryon." She smirked. "Dare I ask if you have a wooly beast costume?"

"I know a guy."

They all ordered the gray stuff and it was, in fact, delicious (a cookies n' cream-like flavor that they all enjoyed). They took an obnoxious group picture with Belle and the Beast. Damian couldn't seem to shut up about the comparison between Disney's Beast and Wildebeest, whom he'd met through the Teen Titans. This, of course, couldn't be explained so he kept referring to him as "a friend that's a furry" to everyone's embarrassment. Belle definitely tried flirting with Dick, because apparently even princesses weren't impervious to his charms. 

"Sorry, Belle. I'm spoken for by another book nerd."

That earned him an elbow in the ribs from the other book nerd.

"I am too." Steph smiled at Tim, who blushed.

"Now here's  _my_  favorite Disney princess." Dick grinned as they approached Ariel's grotto.

"Told you." Jason murmured to Barbara, who only rolled her eyes.

"Who was your favorite princess growing up, Damian?" Steph asked.

"Diana." He asked without blinking.

"Right."

"I caught him staring at Cinderella earlier." Jason smirked.

"I was not!" He returned hotly.

"Then why are you blushing?" She laughed.

"Damian likes blondes!" Tim joined in.

"I will yank that sword out of the stone and smite you all."

"I love that when our family fights, no one cries, but someone is always threatened with termination." Cass sighed.

They all sing, some off-pitched and some not, to the chorus of all the popular  _Little Mermaid_  songs that play on a constant loop in the background as they make their way through the ride. Its delightfully colorful and while never once convincing to anyone that you're underwater, it makes the rider feel truly transported into a cartoon. It was nice to forget about real life for a while. Cass seemed to particularly enjoy it.

"I didn't know you loved  _The Little Mermaid_."

"She has the best voice." She decided from beside her.

As Ariel revived Prince Eric with her wide range of vocal talents, it was hard to argue with that logic.

"You know," Tim nodded towards the animated couple. "Dick and Babs really could cosplay those two."

"Don't pretend you don't know the characters' names." Damianlooked over at him and frowned. "We already know you're not cool."

* * *

From there they moved onto Liberty Square, which Jason actually looked forward to, since he wanted to see the walking cheeto that was Donald Trump's animatronic figure in the Hall of Presidents. He wanted to see if his hands were to scale and incredibly small. Damian groaned about going inside, wondering what a museum was doing in the middle of Disney World. It clearly wasn't Dick's favorite attraction either, as the standing and looking at paintings and facts did not quell his easily distracted mind. Instead, he was drawing up the rest of the events for the day on the map like a total dad.

Jason rolled his eyes, but smiled. He knew this was important to him. It was important to him too; more than he'd lead on, anyway. He'd never been to Disney before this spontaneous trip and sure he played like he was apprehensive, but in reality, it was everything a  _very_  young Jason Todd always wanted it to be. He never thought he'd be able to come here and stopped dreaming of it around age 8 when he became more cognizant to how shitty his life was. Now, as he stood in the Hall of Presidents and awaited his chance to mock the salmon-faced business man that currently sat in the oval office, he realized it wasn't so bad after all. That was a vast improvement.

His hands, by the way, were not nearly as tiny as they should have been.

 _"Thanks, Obama."_  Tim joked on the matter.

"More like thanks for that old-ass joke."

"You ruin everything." He grumbled.

Next, they boarded the riverboat, which Steph honestly did a better job at explaining the tour sites and history of Disney than the schmuck that was running the supposed tour.

"Watch it, or they'll hire you and take you away from us." Cass smiled.

"Do you think that's a real possibility?" Damian, the little shit, asked eagerly.

Steph flicked him behind the ear. "I  _will_  throw you overboard."

To him, going 12 minutes on the "rivers of America" was about as interesting as watching paint dry, but the breeze felt nice in contrast to the humid Florida air. He could take hot days, especially under layers of kevlar and a big red dome, but the heat was different here and he didn't have the luxury of standing on skyscrapers that tended to offer more wind than the ground level. Also, he refused to believe that the sun was nearly as hot in Gotham. Babs, being the mom of the group, brought a ton of sunscreen. She had the luxury of battling with someone every hour about reapplication. He was guilty of giving her a hard time 2 hours earlier and an hour ago, it was Damian that disagreed with putting more on. 

This hour was Tim's turn.

"Timothy Jackson Drake, so help me God, if you don't put this sun screen on your  _very_ fair face, I will tell Steph about that lovely little underwear issue you had last year."

Needless to say, he, like everyone else before him, inevitably put the sunscreen on. 

Jason made a mental note to prompt Babs to spill on that story during one of the very rare occasions where she was drunk. 

The Haunted Mansion was the true gem of Liberty Square and since he loved the movie so much, a ride he'd been looking forward to the entire day. Everyone who'd died in their group, or has ever been presumed dead, pointed at various ridiculous graves in line and claimed the resting spaces as their own.

"That one's me." Jason pointed at the headstone that read: "Here lies good old Fred; a great big rock fell on his head".

"Me!" Dick laughed at one that was inscribed with: "Dear departed brother Dave; chased a bear into a cave".

"I pick that one." Damian nodded towards the one with a brittle old woman carved into the stone and said: "Over my dead body".

"That's me!" Steph referred to the largest one before they went in that read: "Beloved by all in regions beyond and now, but having a ball".

"This is depressing." Tim muttered.

"You're just jealous you haven't been presumed dead." Jason countered.

"No, I'm really not and its concerning that you think that."

As they piled into the room that would take them to the actual part of the ride, he rolled his eyes at Steph clutching Tim's hand, as if he was the brave one in that relationship. He smiled wickedly at Cass, who only looked back at him in confusion, but once he backed up so he was behind the mushy couple, she sighed and turned her head the other way, knowing just what he had in store. She was a good sister in that way.

The lights dimmed and the room slowly gave off the illusion that it was sinking and revealing the fates of those who "died" on the four walls around them. Dick could be heard whispering to Babs that he'd actually almost met his grave in a few of these ways and that it didn't seem nearly as humorous in the moment as it did while they stood in the ride.

"Quicksand? When did you encounter quicksand?" She leaned with her back against him.

"You're not even going to ask about the crocodile?"

"I think that's an alligator."

"Know it all." He grumbled, but wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "You know what I said to it, though?"

"Hm?"

"See ya later, alligator."

Everyone groaned. In fact, Jason was pretty sure people who weren't even in their party groaned at just how corny that was. This reestablished some of his faith in society and what they found funny. He was sure if he went on YouTube and looked at the trending videos, he would be reminded otherwise, but he wasn't going to do that anytime soon to maintain some ignorant bliss.

"The laugh floor would have found it funny. Those are my people." He muttered and Babs leaned up to press a kiss on his cheek.

Lightning struck and the room went dark for a moment and Jason saw his opportunity and was never one to drop chances. He moved as close as he could to Tim and Steph without touching them and with effective simplicity, whispered a harsh "BOO!" right in the slight space between them.

Tim, ever the knight in shining armor, ditched Steph's hand and jolted back.

"You asshole!" 

Everyone else laughed.

"Now  _that_  was funny." Jason beamed at his equally salty brothers. "You sure you wanna ride with him, Steph?"

Tim, as punishment, was to ride alone as Cass, Steph, and Jason crammed into a cart while Dick, Damian, and Babs crammed into another.

"Why am I in trouble when Jason was the one who scared me?"

"How can you protect me against ghosts when you can't even protect me from your other ghoulish brother?" Steph teased. 

* * *

Tim felt like he had been sweating through his shirt the entire day with the stuffy Florida heat accompanied with the fact that they'd been walking all day in the sun. In all fairness to them, they were used to mass movement in the evening at high and windy altitudes. Burning heat under a furious sun was not their natural habitat. So ever since about lunchtime, he was excited for Splash Mountain in Frontierland. Dick and Jason had been talking about doing something funny as they went down the mountain, but as long as Tim was drenched head to toe, he was fine with whatever. 

"Some people do marriage proposals on Splash Mountain." Steph informed the group.

His heart stopped.

_"Oh man, does she want me to propose? I'm still in high school!"_

"I'll ask this soft pretzel to marry me." Jason teased and for once, Tim was glad to have his input as a distraction from the can of worms she'd unknowingly opened. It didn't stop Steph from going on to talk about all the different Disney proposals she'd seen on the internet and how they were a perfect combination of nostalgic, romantic and hilarious, which was exactly what she wanted. Barbara and Cassandra seemed to sense his panic and were doing that thing the two were incredible at and speaking without really talking. He couldn't pinpoint which in his anxiety attack, but one of them must have nudged Steph to bring her to awareness and she suddenly stopped talking about proposals.

"Oh god." She looked panicked at Tim. "I didn't mean-"

"-We could all flash the camera." Dick suggested and again, the interruption was welcome. 

"No way!" Tim chose to respond to that much safer subject instead. "I'm not looking to get banned from Disney for public indecency."

"What do you have under your shirt that is so offensive?" Damian countered and Tim narrowed his eyes at the little gremlin.

"I meant no, because of the girls."

"What do  _they_  have under their shirts that offends you?"

"Uh-" He spluttered. "Help me out here, guys."

"No, I'm enjoying this." Cass giggled.

"They're just mammaries, Drake. Grow up." 

"Okay,  _ew_." Jason cringed. "I'm not saying I disagree, but if I can't say the fuck word, he shouldn't be allowed to say that?"

"You just said it-" Tim sighed. "Nevermind."

"Wait." Cass grinned. "I have a better idea."

And that was how they'd managed to sneak away, change into their superhero costumes (Barbara hacked into Disney's security and edited the footage of them going in and out of the bathroom as well as any neighboring footage of them), and take a group picture all squished into one log dressed as Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, Red Robin, Spoiler, Black Bat, and Red Hood, respectively. Tim reckoned it was worth getting their costumes absolutely soaked, because the picture was hilarious and instead of being flooded with people, they were just smiled at and complimented on for their cosplays.

"A lot of people put in the work for these Splash Mountain pictures. Your costumes looks so authentic!" The one worker commented and nodded at Dick. "Right down to the butt."

"Thank you, I grew it myself." He flashed a trademark grin and everyone in their log-boat was fairly certain they didn't have enough room in their masks to roll their eyes as much as they wanted.

"Bruce is gonna hate it. I love it." Jason laughed as he held the picture up in the sunlight. "I'm gonna need wallet sized copies."

They got changed again before getting back to rides and the next stop was  _"_ The Country Bear Jamboree", which Tim was fairly sure hadn't been renovated in the 47 years of its existence. Damian, who'd missed the entire point and charm of "The Carousel of Progress", naturally found this animatronic production equally as dated and not the least bit charming. Jason argued that the reason it was still popular was because the building was air conditioned and everyone knew they could get a chance to sit down in a fairly uncrowded room for 15 minutes.

"15 minutes and 55 seconds." Stephanie corrected.

"We get it, Mouseketeer. You're the specialist." He spat back.

Dick loved it, of course, naming that a classic couldn't be replaced.

"This song is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day." Cass muttered.

"Sing it and I swing." Damian threatened.

She cocked an eyebrow at him and the young boy sunk in his seat a bit, indicating he would do no such thing if he appreciated having all of his teeth still attached to his head. Tim smirked at the little demon being put in his place.

"Alright, Big Thunder Railroad is next." Dick grinned and slung an arm around Damian's shoulders. "You think you can handle it?"

"Tt, don't be absurd."

To their disappointment, the ride had substantially slowed down. Those who had ridden it before, which included Dick, Barbara and Tim, all came out scratching their heads in confusion about the underwhelming experience they'd just had. 

"Perhaps you were just incredibly weak-willed children." Damian suggested this as if it was consoling in any way and Tim made a mental note that if he ever ended up in critical condition, to have Damian as far from his bedside as possible.

"No way! It used to shake your brains all around!" Dick objected and Tim had to agree.

"I thought it was fine." Cass said.

"It was wimpy." Barbara said. "It never used to crawl down the hill like that. It was so anticlimactic."

"Remember the mine cart ride earlier? That's how Thunder Railroad used to be except more jarring and way less smooth." Tim added. "I think they slowed it down. They're doing that with older rides sometimes, because they don't meet up to standard present day safety codes."

"When have we ever cared much for safety?" Jason asked.

That was true, but Tim heard other people seemed to enjoy it. 

* * *

Cassandra knew she would appreciate Adventureland, as she'd appreciate the remainder of this day with the others. Unlike most of the others, with the exception of maybe Damian, she'd never even heard of the phenomenon that is Disney as she grew up. She was so isolated from the real and living world that she didn't get to indulge in such joyous and clearly pivotal parts of childhood. She knew she missed a lot, just looking around at the animated world they'd been dropped in, but she didn't appreciate it any less. She'd seen a few Disney movies, particularly when she was trying to get a grip on the English language. She especially liked watching them with her family.

She watched  _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_ with Stephanie,  _Beauty and the Beast_  with Barbara,  _The Rescuers_  with Dick (he cried),  _Peter Pan_  with Jason,  _The Lion King_  with Tim, and  _101 Dalmatians_  with Damian (it had been his first time too and she'd never seen someone want to destroy a cartoon character more). She'd seen a few others, but her favorite was actually  _Fantasia_ , a story that didn't require words to be excellent or beautiful. She loved every second of it and couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

They explored the Swiss Family Treehouse and all debated whether or not they would survive if marooned on a dessert island.

"I'd survive, but I wouldn't be happy about it." Barbara said as they walked through all of the detailed rooms of the treehouse. "No tech? No life."

"Right there with ya, sister." Tim agreed. "It is impressive what they've done though."

"You  _do_  know it's all fake, right?" Damian, ever the intellectual, happily corrected.

"No, I thought someone was actually marooned here and Disney just decided to build around it." Tim rolled his eyes.

"I would not put it past you."

"I'd probably die." Steph shrugged. "No shame about it either, because let me tell you, I would not be a fan of facing down leopards or poachers."

"That's from  _Tarzan_." Tim said.

"Still the jungle. And I am telling you, I would not make it."

"I think we all have pretty decent survival instincts, though." Dick, her wonderfully optimistic brother, supplied. "I doubt I would have the skills to build an entire treehouse like this though."

"You couldn't even build a birdhouse in shop class." Barbara teased.

"It was more of a bird hut than anything." He laughed.

"I would survive." Cass said with stoic certainty as she looked around carefully. "And I would thrive."

The others fell silent for a moment before looking at one another and seeming to come to an agreement.

"That you would." Barbara said softly.

Jason and Damian had been whining about going on an "actual" ride again instead of just "walking around and looking at things" so they settled on the  _Pirates of the Caribbean_ ride. She thought Barbara was going to murder them both if they didn't make a snap judgment fast, so she'd suggested it. This was a series everyone in their group had seen and ever since they marathoned it a few months ago for those who hadn't, everyone, namely the boys, had grown obsessed with practicing the art of sword fighting and pretending to be pirates as they did so.

"Jack Sparrow was more honorable than he was giving credit for." Steph said as they moved up the line. "You know he was in trouble with the British empire because he wouldn't transport slaves?"

With his best Johnny Depp impression, Jason replied: "People aren't cargo, mate".

"And lest we not forget how much of a badass babe Elizabeth Swan always was." Dick added. "Keira Knightly apparently wanted nothing more than to be given her own sword in the movies."

"And they gave her literally every weapon except a sword until what? The second or third one?" Steph shook her head. "I would have watched an entire movie of her just kicking ass."

"Is that not what we got?" Cass countered.

Everyone kept their eyes pealed for Jack Sparrow throughout the entire ride and before they were grossly disappointed by his lack of inclusion, he was lounging about in the very last scene covered in jewels and rum. She imagined that's exactly his idea of paradise. Jason seemed to be staring a little too longingly at this prospect and she nudged him hard.

"You're too good to become a pirate." 

He sighed. "Cass, you have to admit, I would rock an eye patch."

"I'd give you a reason to wear one if you went that way."

"Hardcore, little sister."

She and Damian both compared the plastic swords in the gift shop to anything they'd ever combatted with.

"It's not a terrible replica for a kid's toy." She mused. 

"It would make for decent practice for young wielders. When I was a child, I always hated using the heavy metal rods."

She winced. "I hated them too."

The Jungle Cruise was their final ride for the day and while it wasn't nearly as exciting as the likes of Space Mountain or Splash Mountain, it was nice to be able to squeeze everyone in the same row along the side. Lethargy was beginning to take over everyone as they had arrived at park's opening. Damian laid sprawled across Dick's lap with drooped eyes that if something exciting didn't happen soon, would slip into a much needed nap. Stephanie yawned in between her babbles about the history of the boat names and how they changed them during Christmas time. Tim stifled a yawn of his own to give her a kiss, no doubt trying to tamper some of her incessant babbling that while charming, could be hard to focus on when tired. Barbara was squished between Dick and Jason's firm bodies, which no doubt was what framed her enough to be upright. Jason and Dick seemed the most awake, though Jason said it likely had to do with the fact that he'd eaten several of those ice creams. Dick was just always a bottle of energy that everyone slightly envied in times like this. He pressed a kiss onto Barbara's temple, which she readily leaned into. Cass dipped her head to rest on Tim's shoulder, which her brother welcomed kindly. 

"I think it's safe to say we're fading." Dick chuckled.

"Everyone but you." Damian murmured.

"The peaceful rocking of Congo Connie isn't exactly jolting." Steph sighed in reference to their boat. 

The tour guide was talking about a plethora of scripted yet humorous things about the river. Cass could understand why it was still around. They clearly vetted the actors for the production very well since they all seemed energetic and genuine even though they likely told the same 50 jokes 1000 times a day and 5 days a week.

She leaned up and looked at Dick, who was thoroughly invested in the display.

"You would do fantastic here in Disney."

"As a prince?" He joked.

"Actually, probably." She genuinely said. "They all tell corny jokes here."

Jason laughed. "You're right, he would fit in."

The tour guide didn't seem pleased that they were mocking her jokes, but they all laughed anyway.

* * *

Everyone had renewed energy after grabbing a quick bite to eat and heading over towards Main Street to surround the castle for a proper glimpse of the fireworks. Dick couldn't find it in him to be tired, even if he should. They'd been nonstop their entire trip to Florida between tracking down Penguin, getting in a tussle with his goons, and deciding to make an impromptu trip to Disney World before heading back. They'd been on their feet all day and in the hot sun, but he still felt as cool and collect as he ever had. Maybe not collect, because overall the day evoked a ton of emotions from him. 

He remembered many moons before when his parents had brought him to Disney for getting straight A's in third grade. He'd had to get a tutor that year to help him work through his ADHD and adjust to school, but he'd managed it and worked incredibly hard. He'd done a lot in his life, but he'd never been more proud than he had after that when his parents scooped him into their arms and proclaimed it was cause for major celebration. In truth, the circus had a show in Orlando about a few miles from the parks so it already worked out perfectly, but it still felt like he'd earned it.

His mother and father embraced one another as the beautiful stream of fireworks lit the dark sky above the beautiful blue castle before them. Laughter filled the air and he'd never known beauty or happiness quite like he had in that moment. When he couldn't see due to a larger man crowding in front of them, his father lifted him without hesitation so he sat on his shoulders and Dick felt he was close enough to touch the stars and the sparks that colored the sky. He remembered feeling bad for dripping ice cream down his father's neck, but he couldn't keep up with its melting pace since he'd been so distracted from the fireworks and the familiar voices of Mickey and co. that seemed to set the scene. 

Now, about 15 years later, he stood with his new family. It didn't negate or replace his parents, but it still warmed his heart to have them all around. The sun had finally set and now they could cool down and enjoy the various treats they'd gotten. It amazed Dick that while everything could change, certain things stayed the same. The show was more advanced and different than it had been before, but it was the same voices, the same familiarity, the same warmth that crept across his chest. He looked all around him to make sure it wasn't just him that was feeling it.

Tim and Steph shared a passionate kiss (one they all let slide without complaint) as the fireworks erupted in the sky. Steph had talked on numerous occasions about how romantic she found the prospect of kissing under Disney fireworks in front of the castle. When they separated, the grin on her face was unmatchable. Tim seemed pretty pleased with himself too and the couple held one another as they took joy in the euphoria that surrounded the park.

Jason had placed Damian on his shoulders since he was the tallest and both boys seemed absolutely elated. While it wasn't a wild ride that shook the brains out of them, they could recognize that this was what it was all about. Both competed to see if they could pinpoint who was talking and when and discussed how they liked the villains better than most of Disney's heroes. While Dick wholeheartedly expressed different opinions, it warmed his heart to see them both so uninhibited.

Cass was looking at the sky like Dick imagined he had when he was 8. He knew she'd never seen anything like it and was especially excited for her to see Disney for the first time, knowing she was admittedly appreciate it. Damian might try and hide his excitement and happiness, but Cass never did. She looked up and over at him, a bright smile across her face that made it all worthwhile.

"Thank you for showing me this place." She said.

Dick smiled back and felt tears pricking at his eyes so he turned up and away to look back at the sky. Just then, he felt a warm hand rest on the middle of his back.

"How you holding up, Hunk Wonder?" Babs asked softly, knowing good and well that this place held significance beyond a simple love of Disney.

With eyes glazed and a smile that he could feel splitting has face, he looked down at her and pulled her close to his side and she wrapped her arms around his torso. He took a deep breath and looked around again, feeling mirth in the air.

"Is it stupid to say it feels like they're here with me?"

"Not at all." She didn't need clarification to who he was referring to. "I think they always are."

She would probably never know the amount of comfort that gave him to hear it from someone else outside of his own inner voice, but it did. He knew they would be proud of him with upmost certainty, at least in this moment.

"You know, it's easy for us to get wrapped up in our night jobs and the difficult life that brings, but it's moments like this..." He trailed off and she watched him like he was more beautiful than the fireworks clambering above them. 

"Honestly, Babs? I've never felt happier."

"Me too."

Her smile gave the beautiful display a run for its money and she tilted her head up to meet him in a kiss as a large crackle of red and gold cascaded across the air.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Batkids + Disney? I can't believe I hadn't done it sooner.


End file.
